The Feuds
by HappyTerrier
Summary: There is a world not riddled by war. Instead people are separated by feuds. Potters against Snapes. Fleur Delacour against her fiancé's family. Hermione Granger and her chosen family against the world. When canon Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dobby accidentally apparate into this world, the end of the feuds may be in sight.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter J.K. Rowling does. **

Prologue:

Lives are comprised of lost chances. Chances to accomplish a dream. Chances to make a friend. Chances to save another. Still, people often struggle to take the chances before them. They sometimes choose to skip out on those chances and in the end never complete their every desire. There are lost chances a person does not even know he or she had. There are chances a person lost and then moved on. And then, there are lost chances that bother a person's every waking moment.

There is an entity called the Creator of Universes. It looks like nothing. It smells like nothing. It talks to no one. It can only touch a person's soul. It can pull a person's soul apart. It can pull away the side that is greedy from the side that is selfless. It watches and waits until the right moment to use its powers. It does not care about the result of its choices, only that it completes its mission.

Sometimes the entity finds a person struggling to decide on whether to take a chance. Most times the entity ignores the person choosing between taking the chance and doing nothing. Yet, whenever the entity discovers someone so completely torn that the person became static, the entity separates the two warring factions of a person's mind. One part, that wishes to accept the chance, remains in the original universe, and the other side, that decides to forgo the chance, transfers into an entire new universe.

555

The boy he loved lips chewed on his own. The kiss Albus Dumbledore always dreamed of. Yet as his kiss with Gellert deepened, so much that both their tongues entangled with each other's teeth, Albus stopped mid-lick. Gellert continued on, probably thinking Albus would continue in a minute. But Albus did not. He stayed still and eventually Gellert relinquished Albus's lips.

Gellert rubbed his hand against his thighs. After sighing the sound that first attracted Albus to the boy, the mess of rough clangs with soft huffs, Gellert said, "Still feeling guilty, Albus. It's not your faults. Its all your brother's."

Albus partly agreed. If his brother had not interrupted their talk this morning Arianna would still be alive. Still a questioned lingered- who really killed his sister? Was it his furious spell, Alberforth's faulty Reducto charm or Gellert's dark hex? Albus may never know.

"Come on Albus," Gellert continued talking, probably hoping Albus would get over his sister's death. "This is our chance, lets return society to its proper order."

That was all Albus ever dreamed, for magic folk to regain their prestige instead of pretending normality and to punish those who contributed to Arianna's illness. But Albus was worried that if he continued on this path more innocent people would die.

Albus became locked in his own mind, fixated on Alberforth's scornful comments, Arianna's screams and Gellert's sweet, adoring remarks.

He was at impasse and the entity knew. That day the entity chose to divide Albus's soul. A risky move that gifted all Albus's good side to a world where he chose to make amends, later becoming the most renowned Headmaster of Hogwarts, and unleashed all Albus's bad side on the original world.

555

It was the middle of the year 1915 in the original world. Albus and Gellert were wreaking havoc. Many muggles died because of avalanches the two dark lords caused. Many wizards and witches struggled in the losing resistance. Muggles began to notice that magic somehow existed. The muggles feared the magic they witnessed.

Alone in the middle of the woods, a young girl settled beneath a tree. Her mind was far away from the ants running up her bare legs or the moths flickering around. Instead, Merope Gaunt considered the option before her.

She could continue to live with those who drenched her with water in the morning and pushed her around to do work all day. Or she could leave with Pollux Black into a world she did not understand. A frightening world where she would wander fighting along with the resistance against the darkest lords of history, where there was a possibility of dying every day.

A side of her was terrified of living without knowing what to expect. That side pulled her to stay with her father and brother. They may be treating her like a pigeon deserving a kicking, but they were home.

Another side of her ridiculed that notion and pulled her to leave. She experienced enough pain from abuse. She needed more days of receiving Pollux's smile and him gently brushing her hair while promising to always protect her. That side knew that she longed for happiness and that was what Pollux may offer, something her father and brother believed too distasteful.

The entity recognized that Merope was stuck, a statue, unable to open her eyes, so the entity created another universe.

The four universes ran parallel for many years. Albus and Merope never knew that their struggle those days caused an entity to create an additional universe. In fact, in those years, none of the people in every universe met anyone in the other universes. Each universe suffered or thrived thanks to actions every person took. Each world was stable.

Until one day, a group of four, from the world where Albus became Headmaster, accidently barged into the universe where Albus became a Dark Lord and Merope joined the resistance.

The event signaled the end of the universes running without a glitch. Both worlds contained their problems. One faced a war and the other faced too many feuds. The event changed the simple understanding of the reason the people fought.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does.**

Chapter 1:

Everything will be all right. Nothing was ever as bad as it seems. At least that was what Professor Remus Lupin told himself. Really everything was far from all right. He could not decide what he needed to do to stop the fighting taking over his life. Every day he experienced the same scrutiny. His colleague, Professor Lily Snape, would ask him why he remained friends with the idiotic Potters. One of his best friends, James Potter, would badger about what he and Lily talked about and why he was continued considerate behavior around Severus Snape.

Remus Lupin hated this feud. The way it ruled his life. That he could not enjoy this sunny day without dealing with it. He turned his attention to his favorite Hogwart's area. A tree near the Great Lake where Remus and his four best friends would once spent all their time. Back when everything seemed perfect. Before they grew up and had to deal with careers and their children.

A group of six friends lingered there now. This group had a complete different composition. Hufflepuffs replaced Gryffindors. A group of both genders replaced only boys. A group enwrapped in a determined academic conversation replaced a group creating a spectacle.

Not that everything in the present was peaceful. Two boys were dueling in front of the lake. Harry Snape and Justin Potter.

Remus enjoyed teaching Harry Snape. A kind boy who was often faced ridicule. Pussy, some called him. He once refused to duel in one of Remus's DADA classes because he hated fighting. Harry preferred to designate the challenger role to his best friend Theodore Nott. He surprised Remus, and most likely everyone, the change in his character when he fought Justin Potter like a samurai soldier. With a disdainful scowl Harry would shoot spells in an incessant succession at Justin.

Justin Potter was also not the greatest fighting. Not because the boy hated fighting, but because he was a klutz. He would always trip over stairs, bump into people in the hallway and have the unfortunate affinity to embarrassing situations. His best friend Terry Boot was always at his heals to make everyone forget. Still, Justin was brilliant at magic and that allowed him to fight Harry with equal finesse.

Remus was unsurprised by the scene. It was reminiscent of other days. While the two were flinging hexes at each other, many of their classmates watched, and were rooting, "Potter! Potter! Three cheers for the King."

Remus rubbed his hands against his head, and wondered if this fighting would ever cease. Not likely. Unfortunately.

A hand grazed his shoulder. Remus turned to see Lily Snape smile at him.

The two were unlikely friends. Their best friends hated each other. But as long as they stayed away from their other friends while they were together all primarily worked out fine. An exception was a pretty scandalous bar fight. That ended with Severus, blood dripping from his nose, swinging on the ceiling, James nursing a broken arm stuck to a chair in the middle of a crowded room, and Remus and Lily sitting on the floor pitying their friends' inability to mature.

"Again. I told Harry to just ignore Potter and here he goes," Lily gusted angrily.

Remus sighed, "If only there was a way to end this ridiculous feud."

"That would be heavenly," Lily cheered. "Imagine, a peaceful life. No crazy injuries. Just, peace."

"I talked to James and Sirius, you know, about apologizing. And they said the usual, never in a million years," Remus quietly complained.

"How many times have we had this conversation? Now I shall say, Sev is just as resistant," Lily grumbled.

"And I will say, ugh, lets prank them" Remus joked.

Clash. Remus turned to find Harry and Justin squirming on the ground. Their hair covered in dust and body clouded with injuries. Suddenly, a group of four appeared out of thin air.

First, Remus noticed a bushy-haired girl, blood falling off her side and dripping a puddle on the grass. Next, he glanced at a red-haired boy with dirt marks on his face. On top of that boy was a messy haired boy, clutching glass shards and a limp house-elf.

555

How horrible. These four newcomers looked horrible. Around her, silence rang for once in the school where noise always chimed. Lily felt her ears beeped with a dazing volume, while a strange desire to hug one of the four emerged in her. In fact, the one her arms began to reach out for bore the same messy hair that she often longed to pull and chop off so she would no longer have to hear his screeches and no longer want to hold him tight. _Potter, _Lily thought bitterly, _that boy looks just like Potter. The man I want but will never have because he is not the one who knows the real me, the one who stood up for me when no one else would, the one I kiss every night and know it's the love that last, not lust. That's why I feel this annoying lusty feeling. _

But that was not the most important. She needed to find out how they just appeared here. She read _Hogwarts: A History_, the ripped copy underneath her bed was proof enough, and the book declared that no one could apparate or disapparate in Hogwarts. Lily then noticed the house-elf and realized that the House-elf could defy the normal law. After all she had seen how their magic could do more than wizarding magic could ever hope for. All because of what happened that horrible night long ago.

Lily looked around her. The students were beginning to walk over. Remus stood still, stuck in flabbergasted expression and looking at the boy with Potter's hair. The only unbelievable actions were Justin and her son continuing their fight. Only they would fight during an interesting event.

Harry just leaped to pin Justin on the ground, while Justin jumped backwards. Harry fell on Justin and the Potter boy turned her son over. Justin smushed Harry against the grass. Thankfully, Harry regained control and turned Justin onto the ground. Harry stood up and kicked Justin in the shins, grass stains littered on both their robes.

Lily could not watch anymore. "Keep the students away from those four," Lily ordered Remus. She did not check to see if he listened. No, Lily focused more on helping her son. She ran to step in front of her son right before Justin could punch him in the face.

555

Deputy Headmaster and Arithimacy teacher Regulus Black joyfully strutted through the front door of Hogwart's castle for an afternoon walk outside. The familiar sight of Harry Snape and Justin Potter fighting, and Lily Snape rushing to stop them made him groan. _So muggle-like. _

Then, he noticed the limp house-elf with a sword dangling in his chest. He gritted his teeth as anger soared throughout him. He hated seeing house-elves like this. Hurt. He bit his lip hard and tasted bitter saliva.

Memories of his childhood raced within Regulus's mind. While Sirius ran off, resisting Regulus attempts for companionship because of their mother's unwanted favoritism, Kreacher was there for him. Kreacher would joke and listen to Regulus's babbles, be a lonely boy's needed friend.

Throughout his life, many other house-elves worked hard to heal his troubles. After everything they done for him, Regulus gained a rare appreciation for them and he hated the sight of any of them with signs of abuse.

Regulus ran, scooped up the house-elf safe in his arms, and scurried off to the Hospital Wing. No other thought then the need to save the elf.

Once he entered he noticed Madam Merope Gaunt, the school's nurse, gently fixing Amanda Lupin's broken arm. Next to the bed, Amanda's best friend, Julia Black, apologized non-stop, ignoring Merope's calls for her to move away. From what Regulus heard, Amanda apparently accidently broke it during a mock duel between the two girls after Julia was unable to control a chair she levitated.

"Merope," Regulus cried, hating how desparate he sounded.

Merope turned to him and frowned, "You two may go," she told the girls. The two girls scattered off, both glanced curiously at the house-elf in Regulus's arms.

"Merope," Regulus repeated. "You must fix him, please."

Merope quickly went to find something, telling him to leave the elf on the bed. Regulus recogonized the two bottles Merope returned with, infection salve and a Blood-Replenishing potion.

The next few minutes were agonizing. Regulus watched Merope press many things onto the elf and wished he could help. Finally, Merope relaxed. "He's in some sort of magical coma. Like he's frozen in time," she told Regulus.

"Hmm," Regulus murmured. What a curious development. "Is he still alive?"

"Yes. He's fine now. The coma that froze his body saved him. Do you know how he got injured?"

"No clue."

555

Harry Snape despised his mother when she did stuff like this. So embarrassing. This was his battle. Not hers. She just had to become involved in everything. Potter was now rapidly apologizing to his mother. Like he meant a word. His mother waved Potter off in Lupin's direction. His mother grabbed Harry on the shoulder and pulled him away from Justin and closer to three people lying on the ground. Hmm. Where did they come from? Looks like he and Potter were not the only feuders today.

His mother reprimanded, "Harry, how many times have I told you to not fight him. He's not worth it."

"He is," Harry insisted.

Ever since Harry first met Justin he knew that the boy was a brat. They met one day when they were both five. Harry was stuffing some delicious ice cream in his mouth at Florean Fortescue when Potter swaggered up to him and said, "I know you. You the ugly sucker born from Snivelous. I heard Dad talking all about your family. How you all suck-up, little, bichits. Biches? Bickets? Whatever. Don't you dare steal my broom or my friends."

A boy who said that to someone they never met deserves to be despised.

"He's not. There is nothing good that comes from your fighting. It doesn't help anything. You will being staying with me tonight," his mother nagged.

Just what he wanted- a night full of listening to his mother repeat this crap over and over again. He needed to prove that he could stay in the dorm. Quick. His mother raised her nose and continued nagging while he listened in on Professor Lupin talking quietly to Justin besides them.

"… seventeen now. It's time for you to focus on your future. Your feud with Mr. Snape is not worth your time.

"I'll tell you when its no worth it. He is a arrogant git with not self-respect for all us victims of his fake clumsy acts," Harry interrupted bitterly.

"Me, awful. How about you, you sniveling bully. Always making fun of my injuries. My father is right, all you Snapes are no good self-centered fools, always moaning on how bad you have it," Justin interrupted.

At that moment the strict, the strong, the ultimate form of authority emerged. Harry decided to keep quiet. He knew better than to make Headmistress McGonnagall angry.

Instead of focusing on Harry and Justin, like Harry expected, McGonnagall walked behind the area Harry stood. Harry turned around and gasped. Three people were lying in a sort of shocked sleep, their eyes gazed blankly. They all looked like they had not washed for months. Harry pity them a bit, their appearance was way worst than his grease dripping hair that he often complained about. He pitied the bushy-haired girl the most. Blood dripped from her leg, far too damaged.

"Draco, Hannah, get everyone inside." McGonnagall called. She typically chose to command the two Head Students during problems. The two rushed out of the crowd to do her bidding.

Even with her pigtails slapping her face, Hannah Abbot hurried over to the to three bodies. Before she could start a spell though, one of the comatose people woke up.

The bushy-haired girl struggled to sit up and in the end lied on her side. She croaked desperately to boys on her side, "Harry, Ron, wake up."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. **

Chapter 2:

Hermione Granger woke up with a pain on her side. Clenching her teeth, she tried to sit up. Her body ached all over thanks to her exposure to the Cruciatus Curse, so she sniffed the world around her to refresh her heavy panting. She endured the familiar scent of Hogwarts. The uncomfortable aches in her body lessened thanks to the smell. The calming tinge of grass and wood smoothed her nostrils too. Glancing around she watched many of her Hogwart's classmates staring at her. She shivered and landed on her side. It hurt so much, but Hermione barely cared. At least she was alive. She moved to stand and fell on her ass. She was bleeding, terribly. Hermione recognized the signs of infection on her side. Red rashes lined her stomach where puss poured out. Calm, she needed to be calm. She must get out of here. Not a realistic demand, Hermione soon realized because tears soon sprinkled down her face when she realized her two boys were unconscious, unresponsive. Hermione pleaded, hoping for an answer, "Harry, Ron, wake up."

An unfamiliar voice that made Hermione tense called, "I'm awake."

Hermione looked behind her and saw a boy with greasy hair and familiar emerald eyes staring down at her. Sighing she replied, "Not you."

"She's not talking to you, you idiot," another boy grumbled. His hair tangled in the same messy style as Harry's but bore a lighter, dirty-blond shade. "One of the boys must have your same name."

Who were they?

"Hermione," two familiar voices called. Hermione reached to hug Ron and Harry as they began to stand.

Harry patted her arm and ordered, "Better stay sitting, Hermione. You're way too hurt. And where are we?"

"Hogwarts," Hermione replied. "We need to get out of here."

Harry cried, "Dobby."

Hermione prayed for the house-elf to appear, but the space before them remained full of familiar and unfamiliar Hogwart's classmates. No Dobby.

Ron moved to levitate Hermione when a familiar man came up to them. "Moony," Ron cheered. "What are you doing here at Hogwarts?"

"Ron," Hermione sighed. "Obviously this is not Moony. How long have we been on the run and you still haven't learned to be careful."

"I am Remus Lupin," the Lupin imposter began.

Hermione interrupted, "We know your not so. Remus wouldn't be able to come to Hogwarts with the war going on."

"He is Remus," a gorgeous red-haired woman said, coming over to stand by the imposter.

"Mum," Harry gasped.

Hermione glanced over this woman. She did look similar to the woman in the photographs Harry cherished. Ron once joked that he clung to them in bed during all those summers at the Dursleys.

"Bloody hell, its Lily Potter," Ron yelled. Hermione loved seeing Harry's questioning look. He must be surprise that Ron was interested in his family. Ron continued, "I looked through your family photos a few times."

Hermione scoffed, "Come on Ron, Harry, stop acting so stupid." She would have said more when her side started burning.

Harry and Ron noted her discomfort and said, "We got to go."

"We can bring your friend to the Hospital Wing," the woman said.

The three friends ignored the strangers. "Dobby," Harry called again.

Hermione tightened her fingers together. _Did they take him? Was Dobby dead?_ Hermione struggled to drag her worries from her head. She decided that she would stay tall. Let them do their madness.

She needed to figure out another plan out since Dobby was obviously not nearby. They could not apparate. That was certain. But Harry and Ron could run and come back for her.

"The willow," She whispered to Harry. "Run through the passage. You can get me later."

"No," Harry whispered back. "We're not leaving you."

"Oh," Ron screamed. Hermione looked at him to find a pleased smile. "Kreacher."

Hermione would laugh at the irony later. But she was so relieved to see Dobby that she did not care that Kreacher remained away.

"Take us to the cottage, Dobby," Ron commanded.

"Dobby will. Anything for Harry Potter's Wheezy."

The three landed outside the beautiful cottage. Hermione smiled at the gorgeous cottage. It reminded her of her family's summer home in the South of France because of its gorgeous white-picket porch with a wooden swing and the small vines covering the entryway. Ron helped Hermione through the door. First, he let her lean over his shoulder, and then he lightly lifted her.

555

Juliet Potter was a St. Mungo's Healer. She helped wizards with memory lost, young girls with dragon fever, witches with mysterious diseases and kids who accidently turn themselves into clocks. The one family she refused outright to heal was the Snapes.

The family hurt her husband James too much, always ridiculing his pride. One time Lily Snape called him a failure and pushed James's Auror superior to keep him from an important mission. The mission that would have rocked his career so he could leave the local division and focus more on international crime.

Currently, Juliet glossed over her notes on her latest patients. Natasha Reven was stuck meowing like a cat. Lauren Foster's toes were now several small blades that cut through skin. Terrence Yaxley was stuck as a red tomato. Among many other people now stuck in strange situations. Suddenly, Lily Snape barged into her office, kicking some garbage on the floor. Juliet immediately sat up straight and tensed her jaw.

Out of all the Snapes, Lily was the worst. Lily walked around everywhere like she was an innocent star that everyone should adore. Lily caused James to not notice Juliet till their seventh year because James once was enamored with Little Miss. Priss. Lily was the one she spent years hearing about during tutoring sessions with James. If anyone asked, Juliet would refute jealousy claims. But Juliet secretly agreed. She was jealous. But that was no crime and James now loved her.

"What do you want," Juliet growled.

"Do you and James have a son named Harry?"

Juliet laughed at the absurd statement. Everyone knew that Juliet became infertile shortly after Justin was born and Justin was her sole heir. Trust Lily to bother her with a useless interrogation. And remind her how she was not a Muggle-born and yet she contacted a Muggle disease, diabetes, which led to her infertility.

"No. You know that," Juliet snapped. Secretly Juliet cringed at her moment reflecting her anger.

"Well then why did a kid who was called Harry Potter by a house-elf turn up at Hogwarts today. Did Potter have an affair and not tell you?"

Typical Lily, the woman loved trying to damage any relationship involving a Potter. Lily warned Juliet about James various faults about a million times during their time at Hogwarts and afterwards. The woman pretended she was the number one god when it came to knowing the true James Potter.

"No. Get out of my office Snape," Juliet ordered.

Lily stood there in a rigid stance for a few moments, but then conceded and left to Juliet's relief.

555

Dobby was scared. A few hours ago Dobby woke up to a strange woman and man staring at him. They both refused to let Dobby leave and asked Dobby questions. They asked Dobby for Harry Potter and friend's identity and became aggressive when Dobby refused. Well, they touched Dobby on the shoulder as if Dobby was human. Dobby was a house-elf and proud of it. Dobby knew they were trying to get Dobby to talk to hurt Harry. No way was Dobby's mood.

Still this world was scary. Dobby hid behind a wall in the potion shop. A white-haired man flicked his head around. He stared at Dobby's corner for a minute. The man stood right in front of the Pain Relieving Potion Dobby needed for Hermy. A customer entered the store and greeted the man.

"Hello, Tyler," the customer said, absently-mindedly fixing her blond hair in a ponytail. "I need some Cat Repedy and deep-cut salve."

"Wow," the man answered. "That's the tenth time this week. You really should tell the _Daily Prophet _to warn everyone about Lupin's new spell. It's causing way to much trouble."

"I know," the woman agreed. "But everyone's obsessed with becoming animals nowadays quickly without any rough business. It sucks that training to be an animagus is so hard."

"But you were able to Juliet," the man complimented. "In only five months, I heard."

The woman smiled, "Not everyone has a transfiguration master for a husband."

The two continued the conversation while Dobby sneaked around them. Thankfully the two were so caught up in talking that they did not notice Dobby grab the Pain Relieving Potion, drop some great Harry Potter coins on the floor, and vanish.

555

Love was a fantasy and Molly Prewett knew that well.

What cemented Molly's perception against love was when her husband divorced her. That happened many years before her son's relationship troubles, but the ordeal proved to her that love was a mystic ideal. For years her ex-husband Arthur Weasley told her he loved her. They dated throughout their final three Hogwart's years. They spent many nights snogging in random corners and secret passageways. They told each other they loved each other. Yet, after five years of marriage Arthur argued that he could not handle her behavior anymore. He would not even try to accept her for who she was.

Her belief was proved again and again by her children's experiences. She watched as her middle-son Charlie dealt with three boyfriends who all dumped him for silly reasons. Charlie screamed their names in his sleep sometimes. She learned from her youngest son, Percy, that he never even kissed his only girlfriend. They only pretended their relationship with shallow letters back and forth. Her oldest son, Bill, dillydallied with a gorgeous, gossipy girl. Molly was sure Bill just lusted over that girl's perfect body.

That girl currently chatted with Bill. She already kissed Bill on both cheeks when she first came in and now she was smacking her lips lightly below his ear. That girl had no decency.

"So Fleur," Molly said, gesturing at Fleur's face. "I guess your parents never taught you how to act during a meal."

The girl snipped her lips together. "They 'ave. In France we don't care for hiding owr urges behind facade. Not so prudish."

Bill broke in. "We'll keep it to ourselves for the rest of the night." He nudged Fleur.

"If dats what you want to do, Bill. Not 'er," Fleur replied while staring deadly at Molly.

Bill nudged Fleur again. This time a little more brusquely and trying to hide the interaction.

"I like the 'erbs on the chicken. You made it very nicely. I like." To prove her point Fleur licked some of the chicken before swallowing.

That girl just did not know when to stop. Molly found liars horrendous and showoffs despicable.

"Mum always makes the best food," Percy said sweetly. "She's the best cook in the world. You need to try the sweet potatoes. With honey mum adds they're delicious."

Her youngest was the best.

"Remember the Twiwizard Tournament," Charlie added. He laughed harder as he continued talking. "After the first task you looked like a sweet potato after the dragon's fire flung all over your face."

Molly and Percy joined in. Molly did not see the task, sadly. It would have been a good memory.

Percy nodded thoughtfully, "We all know Fleur got to where she is now because of her looks and not her brain."

"Percy," Molly scolded. She may not like the girl and believed that true but that was rude.

Fleur stood up and walked out of the room. Bill looked at Molly but said nothing. He barely said anything to her anymore. Ever since she demanded that he leave the girl.

After Bill left, Molly told her other sons to continue eating and she went to find Bill to try to gain a private conversation. Instead, she listened in on her son and Fleur. Fleur stood tall in front of the door while Bill's shoulders hunched making him look desperate.

"Your father likes me. Why can't zey? Just let me have an hour alone at home, Billy."

The girl ignored her son's protests and left him standing there.

In a perfect world Bill would realize the truth now. That Fleur was a lustful vixen that cared more about his body than his company. He would turn around and hug tight, cry in her arms, moaning on about how he ever trusted a trickster like her. But Bill did not. He walked out the door after her.

555

Harry Potter smiled as he watched his two best friends talk. Hermione lied in a resting position over the couch and Ron sat on the floor, Hermione's left hand in his. Hours ago, they struggled to heal Hermione. Ron had ripped off his shirt pressing it against her wounds, that helped relax the blood flow, but her pain remained. So they decided that Hermione would rest while Dobby fetched some salve to help the infection and Pain Relieving Potion to alleviate the aftereffects of Bellatrix's torture.

Dobby returned just movements before, clutching the potion. Currently, Dobby told them some things he overheard, "Dobby overheard people at the potions store complaining about the laws allowing muggles related or married to magical people to enter the village. Dobby finds tis strange sirs and missus. Dobby also heard a normal work conversation that gave Dobby opportunity to get potion and salve."

"That is strange," Hermione reflected. "Its like there is no war. Like the world is in peace and people are entertaining themselves with worthless trivial matters."

"Agreed," Ron replied. "Reckon You-Know-Who is trying to trick us. Make us reckless and reveal our whereabouts with this elaborate scheme."

"Maybe," Harry remarked. "But I doubt that. Vold … I mean You-Know-Who, don't look at me like that guys. Merlin, I just hate this taboo."

"Me too," Ron cried. "But your whole say his name thing just got Hermione in trouble. And it seems like your not remembering Harry. Don't you care?"

"Ron," Harry began, but was interrupted by a woman. Harry could not believe it. He did not even notice this woman come in. Some war fugitive, he could not even be careful.

"Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

The questioner was an elegant woman wearing a long midnight blue cloak. The woman wore her blond hair in a bob-cut, bore a frown and red teary eyes.

"Fleur!" The three friends cheered in scattered moments. "We were wondering where you were."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. **

Chapter 3:

Earlier, right after the strangers left, Harry Snape spitted on the ground while watching his mother rant, "How dare that Potter call me Mum and that red-head associate me with those toerags."

Professor Lupin had dragged Harry's reluctant mother to her Charm's classroom to calm her done. Though, Lupin appeared furious as well with his scrunched fists and sounds of throaty growling.

Harry knew he should be thankful that those strangers caused his mom to forget her anger. Instead he wished he could know who they were. He hated not knowing things.

Now, in the Slytherin common room, Harry talked in hush tones with his best friend Theodore Nott about the mysteries arrivals. Harry legs jittered with excitement all day for this moment. Finally, he and Theodore would start looking into the mystery.

"What we need to do is find them and demand answers," Harry began.

"Nah, its probably only Potter's latest prank. A waste of time looking into," Theodore responded.

"What? You saw Potter. He didn't know what was going on either," Harry replied, amazed at his friend not caring about the mystery. Usually, Theodore jumped at his call for a little problem solving.

"Acting is all I saw," Theodore speculated. "You know how Potter is, always faking his way out of detention. Pretending to be a smart Raven when he really is an imbecilic lion."

Harry laughed, now Theodore was acting normal. "A cricket that deserves to be squashed."

"Enough. Can you help me with runes? I'm confused about the difference between a few of them. Why does so many of them have to be circles," Theodore grumbled.

Harry stared at his friend who was returned to acting strange. Theodore never cared about studying on Friday or Saturday. Those two days were their days to act crazy, have fun, go exploring.

"Its our study free day mate. Don't you want to help be solve this mystery?" Harry asked angrily.

"No. It's March. The NEWTS are in three months and I want to O them all. My father is breathing down my neck, demanding perfect scores and I want to prove to him. You know how demanding he is. How much he hates me," Theodore yelled, each line grew higher and higher in pitch.

Harry never witnessed his best friend so angry. Theodore was usually even-tempered. But he understood. Theodore's dad blamed Theodore for his mother's death. There was a fire at the Nott's house when he was three and Theodore's mother died to save her son.

"All right. All right. Study. But I'm going to find something out. Go find Draco or someone to study with," Harry relented.

Theodore nodded with a sneer on his face, "Have fun wasting your time."

Harry sighed as he disillusioned himself before wandering through the halls towards the Hospital Wing. He had a mystery to solve.

555

While Remus Lupin was worried over the hurt girl who disaparated earlier, he was more concerned with what the three humans and the house-elf were doing. In the Hospital Wing Madam Gaunt was trying to convince him that the event was a backfiring prank to cause the whole school to beat into frenzy.

"You saw how crazy everyone became after they left," Madam Gaunt explained. "They left with no explanation, the normal response of people who realize that their trick didn't work but still want to cause a panic."

That's true. "Lily was furious. She even fought with Juliet. There was nothing I could to alleviate her anger," Remus commented.

"That's how it always is. Those emotional people always complain after mysterious events. I wish they could be more like us and hide our feelings."

"I know," Remus sighed. "I don't know how I should deal with all Lily's emotions."

"Don't. Now, I think the house-elf likes the two rivals as a romantic pair and decided to combine their name."

Remus could not stop laughing after that. How absurd.

555

"Fleur, what did you do to your hair?" The redheaded boy questioned.

"Get out of mez 'ouse?" Fleur ordered. How dare he remind her of that event? How would he like to have his hair burned off? She would not have these intruders stay in her and Bill's house one minute longer. She threw hexes at the strangers, pissed at their responses of annoying cries. Fleur was happy to see those thieves with bogeys and burns.

Then, Fleur's anger subsided into concern when she noticed the dried blood spot at the edge of the couch and recognized the person sitting on it. Fleur shook up in shock, shrieking with an accented inflexion, "'ermione, what 'appened?"

"Oh, we got captured by Snatchers and one thing led to another," Hermione responded. "Can you please remove these bogeys and burns?"

"Of course. Let me get my 'ealing supplies," Fleur agreed before administering the counter-curses. Then, she rushed upstairs to gather her healing supplies from her bathroom.

She could not believe that her former younger classmate who often sat alone in the library at Beauxbatons for hours on end was here acting like they were close friends. Fleur had often tried to befriend the lonely younger girl, but never achieved her friendship.

Hermione reminded Fleur of Gabrielle. Both were lost pixies in a hormonal world. Gabrielle preferred to remain away from the limelight Fleur enjoyed and became frequently embarrassed when twelve-year-old boys would rush up to her whenever she was stressed and accidently ticked on her veela allure. Hermione was the teenager who would try to gain friends again and again and was stuck to wait till adulthood for people to mature enough to be her friend.

At least now Hermione seemed to have friends. Ones who got her into trouble with some people called Snatchers. Soon, once Hermione was properly attended to, she would to ask them what Snatchers were and why they were in her house. Fleur never imagined Hermione would choose her for help. In the past, every time Fleur attempted to aid her, Hermione would dismiss her with her hand with a bossy order to back away. And now, now she was here and hurt. Fleur promised herself to do anything to help and lick this olive branch for all its worth.

Once Fleur returned downstairs, she looked over Hermione's injuries. "Psch," Fleur murmured. They were too deep and gruesome. She needed a healer.

555

Sitting on the window of the Astronomy Tower, Justin Potter looked at the shining stars.

Justin learned his second year at Hogwarts that every weekend the only place where teachers would not find students out of bed was the Astronomy Tower. He often spent his nights looking at the stars wondering about his life. Currently, he cringed thinking about the event earlier today.

_Why? Why? Why? Did I have to trip? _Justin sniffled with distaste. He was going to grab the strangers and demand answers and his clumsy balance just had to give way.

Justin spent the afternoon with his friends, Terry and Michael, but decided to leave to the Tower to think after the three friends made all the possible deductions. The theories included, long-lost family-member, a clone, a prank, and many more ridiculous speculations.

Currently, Justin was waiting for a very important book.

"Hey Puss," a squeaky voiced called.

Justin smiled, wringed his legs around jumped off the window ledge and into the room. Standing by the door was Justin's little sister in mind and friend Meggie Pettigrew.

Meggie Pettigrew's long, chocolate brown hair mashed by her lovely acne marred face. Meggie was fifteen, two years younger then Justin, but the two friends still met at various points in the day. Her father was the photographer for Meggie's mother, Rita Pettigrew. Her parents met after school and at an interview for the _Daily Prophet_. Nine years older and already known as a successful journalist, Meggie's mother was the interviewer and the two immediately clicked. Meggie's father admired Meggie's mother's veracity and Meggie's mother deemed him the perfect subordinate. They married two years later.

Earlier, Justin asked Meggie to gather his spell book from his secret place, a drawer in one of the unused dungeon rooms. The drawer was warded. Only Meggie and Justin knew the code.

"Hey Sneaky," Justin replied.

The two friends chose their nicknames, like their parent's did, around their Animagus forms. Justin was a cat and Meggie was an adorable mouse that could sneak around everywhere.

Meggie handed Justin the book while chattering about her afternoon. "So Amanda and Julia are bubbling with news about those mysterious peoples. I can't believe I miss all the fun. Is it true they all looked like cavemen? And one was bleeding? That's just horrible them leaking that blood all over the ground. And one was pretending to be a Potter. Just the worst. Do you think it was a Snape prank? I don't. Snapes may be cruel, but they're not that creative."

Meggie went on and on about her thoughts while Justin pretended to listen. Instead, Justin wondered his own theories and his strategy. While Justin liked Meggie, and her incessant chattered often calmed him down after a dismal day, he just wanted to find out the truth about the person he could be related to and his friends. He might have another family. Long ago, Justin wished for a brother, a sister, a cousin. He settled for Meggie, Amanda and Julia, but he longed for a male cousin and one blood related. This mysterious stranger might be his chance.

"Meggie," he interrupted when Meggie was talking about bugs and their intricate parts. "Can we talk tomorrow? I just want to think."

"Sure," Meggie smiled.

After Meggie left, Justin retrieved a piece of the strange brown-haired girl's hair from his pocket. He located an identity spell his mother taught him from the book that reflected both the person's name and parents.

The spell took a few moments to work. Finally, two lines of text emerged in shadowy silver script. Under Joseph Granger and Michelle Granger was the name Hermione Granger followed by the rune identification number linked to all magical folk of a fwooper, a salamander and a ehwaz. Justin learned from his mom about the identification system incorporated at St. Mungo's to help find and identify patients.

_So fwooper is a 4, and salamander is a 6 and ehwaz indicates partnership, _Justin noted. Now he was even more certain he wanted to find the mystery people since, at least one, would be a good partner.

"Step one complete", Justin cheered. The sound echoed across the tower. Next step, begin a mini-adventure into St. Mungo's Hospital's identification chamber and locate Hermione's address and find any files on Harry Potter.

555

In truth, Meggie was sad to hear Justin's dismissal. Meggie often wished for a close bond with a friend. Amanda and Julia long gained a bond that Meggie never grasped with Justin. Amanda and Julia knew instinctively when to interact together like Siamese Twins and when to allow the other space. Meggie spent her whole childhood with Justin, but she still never understood him and he never wanted to partner up with her to discover mysteries. Together, Amanda and Julia discovered the first task of the Twiwizard Tournament and went camping with Victor Krum. Meggie tried to join those adventures, but was always politely dismissed.

Those worries drilled in Meggie's head that night as she slept painfully in the Gryffindor common room. She hated sleeping with her self-absorbed roommates. Her worries hurt her especially when she noticed that Justin never returned to the common room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. **

Chapter 4:

Hermione laughed with her friends and Dobby. They all accounted over Fleur's interesting reactions to their appearance with both a surprised and angry attitude.

"Dobby like her," Dobby declared. The others raised their arms in accord.

"I wonder what Fleur's so pissed about?" Ron puzzled. "She looked like she was going to torture us even worse then Bellatrix."

Hermione shuddered; the pain was beginning to reemerge from her lost of adrenaline and the reminder of her torturer.

Harry cuffed Ron behind the head, deploring, "Don't mention her right now."

Ron looked at Hermione. Hermione tried to smile, water cruding her eyelids. He mumbled, "Sorry."

Hermione appreciated his backing out. She struggled to forget the pain she endured earlier. She hated seeing Bellatrix's crazy face in her vision.

A grin bore Ron face and he cheered, "At least, Fleur will be able to fix you up more."

"I will," Fleur announced as she walked back into the room. Her arms full of potion bottles, bandages and creams.

While Fleur began to wash off the dried blood on Hermione's upper shoulder she noticed the markings of Mudblood. Fleur stared in quiet contemplation. Hermione feared Fleur would ask her for the story. Thankfully, Fleur only ordered, "I'll fix her upstairs. You three can eat if you want."

"Oy," Ron cried. "We can help."

Fleur refused, "Do you know anything about 'ealing?" Ron and Harry shook their heads. "Then let me do eet."

"Dobby say thanks Wheezy Wife," Dobby cried.

"Your welcome," Fleur smiled at the friendly elf "And not yet."

"Thanks," said Harry.

"Yeah, thanks Fleur," Ron echoed.

555

After telling Dobby to rest, the two boys walked outside and sat on the porch chairs. Ron simply misinterpreted the not yet, as that he should not eat yet. Fleur knew him so well.

Ron sighed. After many weeks in the tent Ron believed he was beginning to repair his friendships with Harry and Hermione. But Ron never truly gained the chance to tell what he was about to say. For so long, Ron kept this trouble to himself. This worry that he would never gain regain recognition he earned. "Harry," Ron began in a serious tone so unlike his normal joyful quip.

At the sound of Ron low, measured tone, Harry answered, "Yes."

"I. I. I." Ron tried to find the words.

Harry calmly waited for Ron. Ron loved the way Harry acknowledged serious conversations with patience. Harry calmly leaned back on his chair with waiting eyes. Ron could never match this patience.

"I've been thinking. How does you know when you earn fame. Since I was young I forever wanted recognition. Where everyone would watch me and admire me. And now, I don't think I deserve it. The fame the three of us have. People out there think we're heroes. Waiting for us to save the day. And I don't know if I deserve to be part of our group. You're a self-less hero and Hermione is the one who brings us down to earth. And all I do is complain. I left you and I don't think I'll ever forgive myself," Ron babbled all the words he needed to relieve. These thoughts had bothered him for so long. " I just want to know that I deserve the life I got because of you."

"Fame. I don't think anyone really earns it. You can easily tell who definitely should lose it. But, I don't care much about earning fame. I care much more about living. Dumbledore once told me that the reason Vol-, You-Know-Who became so bad was because he lived without love. And I agree, it's just not worth it caring about if you earned something. What matters is happiness. And you deserve happiness with Hermione and me. Please. Know that."

The two best friends laughed.

"I just wish I didn't have so many horrible memories that were all my fault," Ron sighed.

"Don't we all. You don't know how mad I feel at myself for leaving Ginny. For yelling at Remus," Harry exclaimed.

"You were right, though. Remus shouldn't leave Tonks," Ron retorted.

"But yell at him. He didn't deserve it," Harry replied.

"You know how much I like Remus. But he did leave you for twelve years. Never once checking. I find your remark that day perfectly returned the anger you never shared. We never think about all the bad things the adults have done. The past Dumbledore had and his choice to leave you at the Dursleys. I'm glad that sometimes you exclaim the anger that those people need to receive," Ron countered.

Harry sighed. Ron bet Harry preferred to leave his feelings towards Dumbledore and Remus's abandonment behind a curtain, preferring to look at his future and saving all those he loved. Harry was like that, always so understanding.

"There's nothing vengeance can do," Harry cried in realization. "There's nothing I can do. There's nothing they can do to fix the past."

Ron nodded with a similar understanding, "The future is it, mate."

555

At that moment, a very gloomy Bill Weasely surprised the two friends lounging at the porch. He looked at the two with confusion, his eye-brows rising and mouth open in an 'O.'

After fighting with his mother about her actions with Fleur, Bill decided to unwind at the Hog's Head before returning home. He enjoyed playing flobberworm races with a German vampire. Bill's flobberworm almost cross the finish line first twice and won once. Two hours later and one bottle later, Bill concluded that Fleur had too much time alone and needed a lucky night.

First, there were strangers to deal with. The redhead stranger reminded Bill of a taller and happier Percy. The messy haired stranger caused Bill to think about Percy being covered in blue paint. Justin Potter? That little pranker who bothered Percy to no end his fifth to seventh year.

"Justin?" Bill asked hesitantly.

"Who?" asked the messy haired fellow.

"Bill!" the redhead exclaimed before tightly hugging Bill.

Gasping for air, Bill asked, "Please, let go."

The redhead complied, a dopey smile still in place and said, "It's great to see you. And I brought Harry and Hermione this time. Where were you all day? Oh, Fleur's currently is helping Hermione with a nasty injury."

"Who are you?" Bill asked, confused. His head was starting to turn, acknowledging that something was not right with these two strangers.

"Your brother, silly," the redhead laughed. "Why are you looking like you never seen me before?"

"Charlie? Percy?" Bill questioned and shook his head; this guy was definitely not either of them.

"Oy, don't mention Percy. That little twit," the redhead scorned.

Bill began to see the boy in a different light. The reckless idiot deserved to be punished for demeaning his youngest brother. "Call him that again and I'll break your nose."

The redhead jumped in alarm. "Who are you? Your not Bill."

"I am," Bill stated. "Who are you? Answer me dammit."

The messy haired boy stood in between Bill and the redhead, calmly commanding, "Calm down, mate," to his friend. Then, the messy haired boy turned to Bill asking, "Where did you first see Fleur?"

"At Gringot's bank," Bill responded. "Why do you want to know?"

Immediately, the messy haired boy lunged at the imposter, shrieking, "No. Bill saw her at the family meeting room for the Twiwizard Tournament."

"Harry," the redhead screeched in alarm. "Are you out of your mind?

"He's not Bill. Oh, god. The girl most not be Fleur either," shouted the messy haired boy.

"Hermione," the redhead whispered with a frightful edge.

While the two strangers were busy talking, Bill swiftly studifyied the two intruders. Bill laid his palm against his head to check if he was awake. What a day?


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. **

Chapter 5:

Some people journey through their lives with extravagance and spontaneity and others spend the years with more simple lives. Healer Danielle Meyers aligned herself with the later category.

Danielle stood, an anomaly amidst the typical fervor during late Saturday nights at a St. Mungo's Hospital's Spell Damage ward. As Danielle's supervisor Juliet Potter planned an upcoming party with her friends Eliza Lupin, Camilla Black and Margaret Finnegan in her office, Danielle prepared herself for a monotonous evening. Lead patients to beds in the ward's room. Help them if they she can cure one of the three usual ailments: magical transformation of body parts, invisible limbs and uncontrollable magically enhanced movements. Tell them to wait and relax in the bed if she could not quickly fix the patient and that she will research the problem and find the cure as soon as possible. Fill out the night's paperwork when the next shift's worker arrives. Go home. Sleep.

After working as a trainee the last two years, Danielle was no longer surprise that many people garner the affinity to hurt others. Fighting couples cause the other to grow a stingray tail. Someone jinxes an intruder to flash different color lights and baa like a sheep. Now as a low-level healer, Danielle coughed in shock whenever someone inflicted spell damage on his or her own body. Juliet often punished Danielle whenever she did that yelling, "Now they will think your sick."

Danielle liked the predictable nature of her work. The order allowed her to relax, do her job well without needing to participate in a social atmosphere beyond small talk.

At the current moment, Danielle listened to a patient detail the elaborate story on how she acquired chicken legs. "I was trying to get my chicken to lay some eggs so I can make my husband an omelet before he leaves to work early tomorrow morning. The store was closed and wouldn't open till 9 am. Way to late. I somehow mispronounced the word of the spell to get chickens to lay eggs quicker and then these things grow on me."

"Danielle," a hasty voiced shouted. Danielle looked behind her and saw her friend Fleur Delacour. Fleur waved her hand in a swirly motion, the two friends private signal of desperate time, help now.

Danielle and Fleur's friendship was not immediate. Danielle's first impression of Fleur was a girl with a nasty superior attitude and Fleur did not notice Danielle at all. Then, came the second task of the Twiwizard Tournament. Danielle discovered Fleur crying in the bathroom after she failed the task. A gloomy raincloud herself for not making the cut of champion, Danielle was not pleased to see a girl who did and lost a task. Danielle later learned that Fleur wanted to wallow away from her snotty friends on the Beauxbaton coach. The girls who were Fleur's friends for so long became jealous fools during the Tournament and Fleur lost their friendship thanks to their continual abrasiveness.

Anyways, Danielle shouted at Fleur. About her being a failure. Annoyed, Fleur thrust her shoulder into Danielle stomach, demanding "Silence. Do talk about what oo don't know."

The encounter caused Danielle to realize she misjudged the girl. She was not a prat and actually a real person who felt pain from failure.

At the time, Fleur's glare scared her, so the two did not reciprocate friendship till Danielle saved Fleur's hair after she accidently burned it. Since then they were the best of friends and Fleur kept her hair styled in a bob.

In the present, Danielle told her patient, "I'll be right back," and rushed to Fleur.

The two entered a small empty room away from the noisy patients in beds. The room had some claw marks on the walls and smelled like burnt toast.

"Well, what do you need? I'm quite busy right now," Danielle asked while leaning her tired head against the wall.

"Is it possible for you to get a replacement. I nee 'elp. Desperately," Fleur answered.

"With what?"

"Someone is injured and need good treatment. Look. Dany. I trust you. You ez best 'ealer I know."

"Well,"

"Well, look who it is," another person entered the conversation. "Danielle, who is your friend? And here I thought your shift didn't end till three a.m."

"Fleur, meet Amber Scott. She is lucky to not have Juliet Potter, Miss Do No Work as a supervisor. Amber, this is Fleur Delacour, a friend from my final year at Hogwarts," Danielle shared.

"Nice to meet you Fleur," Amber hollered before shaking Fleur's hand. "Ha. Danielle, sweetie, quit your complaining. I have Bellatrix Lestrange as my Healer-in-Charge and she's scarier than a werewolf who forgot his Wolfbane."

"And Potter is as mean as a banshee. Trust me I know. I met one who tried to force me to claw my ears off," Danielle countered.

"You English and your bickering," Fleur laughed. "Danielle can you 'elp me?"

"Let me check," Danielle replied. "Amber would you be great and take my shift. Fleur needs me. Some emergency."

"Sure. The usual room right?" Amber asked.

"Yep. Start with the woman with the chicken legs."

After Amber left, Danielle asked, "So what do you need me to do?"

"First, we vell need some murlap. Anything that will 'elp deep, abra-sif cuts and blood lost. Oh, and promise to not tell anyone about the patient or anything you hear later."

"Of course I promise. Why though?"

"Well, technically, the person your will 'elp in France."

555

Hermione Granger lied in a warm, cushioned bed staring at the ceiling in one of the guest bedrooms at Shell Cottage. To calm herself, Hermione counted the number of small black dots scattered in the ceiling over her head. After her vibrant mind was cleared and ready to think, Hermione deducted her conclusion from the number of clues.

The foggy undertone Hermione experienced during the Hogwarts part of the day. Seeing Harry's mother. The lack of Dean, Luna and the other prisoners they saved at the cottage. After inquiring about what happened after the wedding, Fleur growled, "I don't know you. Your not really 'ermione, are you?" When, Fleur squealed, "La Cocotte de Le Suprême" after Hermione's insistence of her identity. Hermione was pleased that despite her disbelief in Hermione's identity, Fleur had faith that Hermione was not a threat. Lastly, Fleur left the house, despite the reality of war, to acquire a healer.

All the clues carried Hermione to the realization that some Death Eater toyed with Fleur's memory of the trio, re-imprisoned Dean, Luna, Griphook and Ollivander and the Hermione and her best friends experienced a breakdown after apperating with Dobby and Dobby's nearly dying. The Hogwarts experience was a figment of Harry, Ron and Hermione's imagination.

Hermione heard a crash outside. What should she do? She was physically weak and exhausted. Still, she needed to find out. Hermione walked in unsettled footsteps out of the room to the stairs. Ever step caused Hermione to sway a little, but she kept going. Her friends needed her.

_One step. Down. Two steps. Down. _Hermione counted as she walked down the stairs. As her left foot settled on the third step, she saw Bill walk inside. Bill looked similar to how he did during his wedding minus the relaxed smile. He wore a suit and his hair in his familiar ponytail.

When Bill looked up at her, his eyebrows raised, and asked, "Who are you?"

Hermione was feverish in thoughts and blank in what to say next. Hermione disliked how Bill's memory of her was entirely gone unlike Fleur's that still clutched a bit of recollection.

"A friend of Fleur's. She went to get a healer," Hermione claimed. Best to not unnerve Bill.

"Oh," Bill replied. He too appeared uncertain on what to say. "Are those wierdos outside with you?"

"Wierdos?" Hermione replied, hoping her voice reflected surprise about others in the cottage's vicinity. "No. It's only Fleur and me. Well, till she gets back with her friend."

They stood in silence for a few minutes. Hermione took those moments to plan how she was going to escape with Harry, Ron and Dobby without alerting Bill. She could ask him to make her tea and sneak out through the front door. No, that left Bill a chance to collect a weapon. He might feel threatened by a person he deemed a stranger. Best to sit on the stairs and talk about rubbish.

"How was your night?" Perfect. Gave no hint to false knowledge.

"Good. When do you think Fleur will be back?"

The two small talked for a while with Hermione sitting on the staircase and Bill standing by the bottom step. Hermione began to believe the conversation could delay confrontation until Fleur returned when Harry and barged through the front door.

Immediately, Bill raised his wand. Harry and Ron returned the gesture. The three reminded Hermione of a painting she saw in a French museum that depicted warriors standing in a battle ready stance before a sword fight.

Hermione shouted, "Stop. Ron's your brother Bill. You have to know that. Your memories of him may be gone, but you have to recognize his red hair. His hair is as orange and vibrant as yours. His eyes are as blue as your father. Please don't fight."

Ron gasped, "You know my father's eye color?"

Hermione laughed, "Arthur and I had a few staring contests. He wanted me to teach him a muggle game."

Bill stared at Ron. His voice shook, "You're my brother. That's why you hugged me."

"Yes," Ron replied brightly. "So someone took your memories of me?"

"That's what I figured," Hermione cried.

"My brother," Bill repeated. He clenched his fists. "So what you said out there is what you believe is true. Who took away my memories if what you claim is true?"

"Death Eaters," Ron insisted. "They must have somehow defeated the wards."

"Wards?" Bill wondered. "Oh, you mean the ones that don't allow any people who mean harm. Merlin, I've been stupid. You three managed to get through the wards so of course you're not dangerous. But who are Death Eaters?"

Before Hermione could explain, Fleur and a woman with curly brown hair appeared by the doorway. Fleur cried, "Guess its time I explain everything Bill."

"You know what's going on?" Bill explained.

"Yes. First, lez all convene in the guest room so 'ermione can rest. Oh, wake up Dobby. I don't want to explain this again," Fleur demanded. Her command echoed across the house and Hermione led the others to the room. Hermione knew it was best to remain calm. One glare to Harry and Ron caused her friends cooperation to her plan.

555

A few minutes later Ron sat on the edge of Hermione's bed with Harry standing with Dobby on his left. On the right side of the bed, the brunette, introduced as Fleur's friend Danielle, applied murlap on Hermione's wound. By the open doorway Fleur settled leaning against the door smiling next to a confused and scowling Bill.

Ron knew he was as confused as Bill. While Bill looked and acted like Bill, his intuition cawed Bill was Bill, but not Bill. These conflicting feelings were driving Ron crazy. Still, there was no way the person standing before him was not Bill. No one but Bill clenched his fists with his thumb sticking out when he was confused. No one but Bill rubbed his hand palm flat against his head with his pinky out when he was exhausted. Bill currently did both tells.

Dobby broke the silence. "Dobby wonders where the others Dobby brought are."

"Others," Bill gulped.

"In your universe," Fleur replied.

Ron, along with the others stared astonished at Fleur.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"I figured it out earlier when 'ermione said, 'I am 'ermione. I am," Fleur began. "'er words brought me back to a story my fat'er told me when I was a c'ild. A story about a girl's adventure to an alternative universe called "La Cocotte de Le Suprême" where the girl begs a stranger in what she thinks is her house to believe her name is Lucille Manger."

"Alternate universe," Hermione whispered. "Where have I heard that term before? Oh, _Fantastical Magical Mysteries_. Such a splendid book. It said an alternative universe is a place where events occurred differently and people lived different lives. There is no proof they exist, but there are some myths about their existence."

"Huh," Ron grunted. Hermione's definition sent his mind whirling in confusion like all her others.

"Oh, Ron," Hermione sighed before gulping a potion. "Basically, we're in a new world where your not Bill's brother and Bill, Fleur and Danielle live."

"This got to be the craziest trick yet," Harry cried. "How can we prove or disprove that explanation. I bet they are delaying like Luna's father. Come on. Lets go." Harry grabbed Ron and Hermione's wrists, yanking Hermione away from Danielle and into his chest. This caused a potion Danielle was about to hand Hermione to spill over the bed's sheets.

"Wait," Fleur yelled. "I'm not trying to trick you. Please. I'm trying to 'elp."

"Yeah," Bill added. "We mean no harm."

"Dobby say we let them prove it," Dobby called.

Ron removed the wet blanket from the bed. Then, helped Hermione lie back on it. He covered Hermione with a dry, thin, blue sheet. "I agree. Something tells me they are telling the truth. Harry, I know Bill and Bill, here, acts exactly like Bill. There is no way he's someone under Polyjuice and I believe he's too strong to become Imperiused."

"But how can they prove it?" Harry asked.

Ron thought harder then he ever did before in his life. This year Ron realized that he needed to stop allowing others to work for him. Now, more then ever before, he needed to put effort in his life if he was going to end up happy. He needed a way to prove that they were in a different world. A way to prove he could relax with his friends in a safe house before continuing the hunt. Hmm. Memories of the Locket's power plagued his mind preventing him from thinking clearly. The moment of Harry saying Voldemort's name and the snatchers arrival came to his haunted mind next. Suddenly, Ron experienced a lighting bolt moment, a moment he never had before because of his lazy attitude towards life. "The Taboo. If the Taboo doesn't work, that means were in another world without You-Know-Who."

"That's perfect," Harry cheered.

"Who's You-Know-Who?" was Fleur's response.

"Wait," Hermione replied. "Harry, lets all hold hands in case we are still in our own universe and Bill and Fleur's memories are just wiped or they are Imperiused."

Hermione rose to stand by Harry, clenching his right hand. Ron clasped Harry's left and Dobby's in his other hand. Ron to involuntarily flinched, when Harry quietly stated, "Voldemort."

The next few minutes slugged along slowly. The room's silence clashed with the clattering of raindrops against the window. The silence brought Ron back to his childhood the day before Bill left for his first year at Hogwarts. When he was nine, Bill was his favorite brother and he disliked the idea of Bill leaving him for a foreign country. It was bad enough they only had three months together each year. Those three months each year were Ron's heaven. The months the Ron would explore Ottery St. Catchpole and practice Quidditch with Bill. That day Ron sat cross-legged on Bill's bed while Bill packed his suitcase. The two laughed over stories of Bill's final year and stupid pranks pulled by the twins. Then, Bill said words Ron never forgot, "Someday, the two of us will explore the world together. Just you wait." The years past and Ron did not believe the two would ever fulfill the promise. The world was too dreary, to busy fighting for a trip around the world. And there age difference was too much. But, here Ron was with his too best friends and his favorite sock loving house-elf experiencing a rare trip.

"I guess we are in another world," Ron laughed. Harry and Hermione laughed too.

"I'm glad," Harry cried.

"Same," Hermione said.

"Now that is all figured out," Ron said. "Storytime! Fleur care to share the rest of the fictional girl's experience in another world?"

"It would be educational," Hermione continued. "Maybe we can see if anything the character did that we can do to get home."

"Sure," Fleur agreed. "Lucille Manger entered her parent's new 'ouse after returning from school. 'er father was busy with his new job and her mother was sick at the hospital. S'e was walking down the stairs to the basement when s'e tripped and bumped 'er 'ead against the stairs."

"Oh, that story," laughed Bill. "And then she wakes up to a hairy man with a big belly asking her why she is in his house and she replied, 'This is my parent's house. I'm Lucille Manger. Bernie and Alaina Manger's daughter.' And the man cries in disbelief, "The vile overlord's daughter. Nonsense. That man would never have children or love another.' Lucille rushes out of the house and finds many others who tell her a different story of the world around her. What's the difference about the reality Fleur?"

"Well, Lucille's mother ez married to another man François and 'er father is a mean overlord who controls ze village by force, taking all the villages money for 'is own greedy pockets. 'e lives alone in 'is 'ouse. Lucille meets 'im and works on c'anging 'im. At first 'e ez resistant but then Bernie feels compassion for 'is daughter and 'e begins to give back. Most are 'appy with t'e c'ange but then one farmer slays 'im with a knife, shouting while Bernie looses life, 'He claimed my casserole recipe as his own. The one I slaved over.' I love t'e story because it reminds me that seeking redemption comes with a price. T'e past will always be with us."

In Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Dobby's home dimension and an hour later, Lawrence Yaxley sat tall and proud next to his fellow Death Eaters, Dolohov and the two Carrows. Poor Draco Malfoy heaved as he tried to sit as small as possible in his chair. Yaxley knew Lucius Malfoy wished he could bar his son from his pain, but he was too tired from the torture session the day before because of those stupid teenagers and too frightened of Voldmort.

His lord gazed at Yaxley and beaconed him to explain why he called this meeting. Something a Death Eater like himself rarely did. Yaxley had a very good reason for breaking the unspoken rule.

Yaxley addressed his icon, "My lord, someone has mysteriously breached the Taboo. The Snatchers tried to apperate to the voice, but they could not get to the person."

Voldemort growled, "Didn't you create the Taboo with magical skill so that no one would ever be able to do what you said."

"Yes, my lord," Yaxley cried, struggling to remain sitting tall under Voldemort's burning gaze.

"Crucio," Voldemort said, laughing at Yaxley dimming expression as he crumbled to the floor, twitching movements reminiscent to a captured beast. "Find out how it was breached."

"I will, my lord," Yaxley gasped.

An hour later Yaxley ruffled in a brisk fashion through the books in his library. The after effects to the Cruciatus Curse remained, but Yaxley long became accustomed to agony. Pain was a normal part of his life. And he craved it, the luscious feeling that he was alive and powerful. What bothered Yaxley was having a new task. He did not have time for this mess. His days as the Head of the Department of Law Enforcement were difficult enough. Fun as it may be to harass Mud-bloods, the time commitment was horrendous and everyday the Mud-bloods squealed and whined the same lines. Plus, dealing with Umbridge was torture in the form of frequent reminders of her superiority and threats to damage his face by replacing his quills with many face-based blood quills.

Well, he will look through everything. After he made some eggs.

After entering his kitchen, Yakley located his frying pan, bearing a polished gleam. Eyeing his frying pan, Yaxley remembered that blasted house-elf who banged his head with a frying pan, causing squirts of diced beef to lag in his blond hair. Yaxley knew the elf committed the awful act for Potter. Yaxley could not wait for the next time he discovered Potter's location. He and his frying pan were ready for pay back.

555

Dean Thomas, like the other occupants in Shell's Cottage, was in a frantic state. He sniffled on the porch of the cottage while Luna cried. He wished Harry, Ron and Hermione would finally arrive. He did not want to believe the trio and Dobby were dead. But all signs pointed to their death, or at the very least they were still captured. It was now a day since he escaped Malfoy Manor.

Dean was amazed since he glimpsed Luna acting like a normal girl for the first time in his life. No crazy statements. Luna was now just a girl in pain that clasped her soul as deeply as his. While he never was a close friend with Harry, Ron and Hermione, Dean had looked up to the three for years and hated himself for only thinking about himself earlier instead of trying to save everyone. But self-loathing would do him no good. "Luna," Dean whispered. "We need to sneak back into Malfoy Manner and see if we can save them."

"No," replied the willowy girl. "I believe they are somewhere safe. They're alive. Just in hiding again. Its best we just relax. We deserve it. And then prepare to fight."


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. **

Chapter 6:

Merope Gaunt reminisced over the conversation she had with Remus Lupin last night. The funny guesses she and Remus made the whole previous night. Followed by her sharing her romantic escapades with Pollux Black years before. How Polly rescued her from her horrible family with the help of his house-elf Muncher.

Right now a student was ridiculing her process on healing his broken arm. Merope remained silent. Merope hated her cowardice that led to her allowing a child to interfere with her work. But she hated to overreach with mean words and physical actions to discipline children. Her childhood of abuse and neglect by her father and brother produced a woman who hated confrontation and physical violence. All she wanted to do was heal all the broken hearts she could.

Soon she was finished and the student left. Merope then spent a few minutes humming and cleaning the Hospital Wing.

Merope's cheerful spirit corrupted when she received a letter from her brother, Morfin. Immediately after, Morfin's black owl with silver eyes knocked on the Hospital Wing's window, Merope wished to ignore her brother's imposition. Merope opened the window. The owl dropped a letter on her shoulder, did a little bounce, and soon slipped down onto the ground.

After helping her brother become admitted to the insane ward of St. Mungos for sixty years after he was convicted for mutilating a muggle, Merope distanced herself for good from her family. She suspected he was thanking her with a demand for service.

While she read the note, she learned she was more than correct. The letter contained an air of arrogance that proved her brother could never be rehabilitated from bigotry.

_Dear Sister,_

_It came to my attention you haven't found a good pureblooded spouse yet. At your age, I am greatly disappointed. If father were still alive, he would certainly disown you. To ameliorate this grievance, I request you meet me at our ancestral home tomorrow evening for dinner at six. The dust is unsettling. Thus, I am looking forward to your cleaning. _

_Always Pure,_

_Morfin _

555

In the Quidditch Pitch of Godric's Hallow, James Potter enjoyed a game with his best friend Sirius Black and Sirius's wife Camilla. All three were in the same Quidditch Team at Hogwarts. They secured a tradition that on each of their birthday's they would play a Quidditch performance before their families and friends to decide the best position of the day: Beater, Keeper or Chaser. James's birthday was the coming Friday and they wanted to hone in their skills.

When Camilla effectively blocked another one of James' attempts to goal, Sirius laughed, "Cammie is still the best. No Chaser stands a chance against her. I'm glad you're on my team."

"Just you wait," James retorted. "I have an idea for the next game that guarantees I'll win."

"I'd like to see you try," remarked Camilla. She doubted James's capability to live to his threat. After all these years, she guessed James's incoming actions in a second flat. James still missed her minor imperfect signals. Like the time she moved her hand left before quickly flipping it right to catch the Quaffle by her fingertips.

But anything was better than his dream last night. A vulgar dream involving a redhead, some pleasurable groaning and some "a little bit mores." He knew better than to say anything about it to Sirius or Camilla. Sirius would blab it to everyone he met and Camilla would tell Juliet. Plus, he better dismiss it. He would rather deal with Juliet's calm responses to stressful situations then Evans's emotional rage.

555

Severus Snape contemplated his feelings toward Samantha Clark. The Samantha Clark. The woman who created the cure for the hippogriff rash that plagued Europe everywhere the last decade. The woman who sent him a letter requesting him to join her and her group of Potioneers on a research journey for rare potion ingredients in Ghana.

He both liked her and disliked her because of her offer.

When he first finished school, he planned to take a similar occupation. Then, Lily told him her desire to marry him. He was a young man then and so worried about losing her to another that he agreed to marry straight away and start a family instead. Despite, Lily's insistence that she could wait, that she was just expressing a desire. He could not alleviate his worries that she would meet someone else. Now, he was not a fan of working at school. It was a chore dealing with many obnoxious students. Here was the chance he was waiting for. He could choose to finally take a suitable job.

Harry would most likely be considerate. Harry did not acquire his mother's stubbornness and would likely accent his choice. Harry always did deem his ideas the best and already remarked on his need for independence from him. But, Lily would likely insist coming with him. Distancing from the perfect job for a vibrant person like her.

The door to his dorm opened and his wife walked in. Lily Snape walked with excitement and sat straight in a chair across from him. Severus ate some biscuits with slabs of butter, while Lily chomped on some toast with jam she walked in with.

"Sev," Lily started. "Where have you been? You missed all the excitement yesterday. Potter's lovechild appeared out of nowhere with some friends and a house-elf."

Severus banged his knife with a smidge of butter against his desk. "What?"

"I know," Lily continued. "Its truly shocking. Enough about Potters. I have some news for you."

Severus chomped his biscuit. It was absurd that Potter had to bring attention to his family in every way possible. When, could Potter's finally relinquish their starving grabs for attention?

Lily grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Don't think about them, Sev. They're not worth our time. Our future is. I'm thinking about leaving Hogwarts. About starting the first magical museum with Mary."

Bits of biscuit clogged in Severus's throat when he stopped swallowing in shock. Lily was searching for a new occupation too. What a relief. But. Why? She never said anything. And Mary Catemole, really, why work with the dimwitted girl.

Lily squeezed his hand again. Her beautiful eyes watched him, eager for a response.

"Mary, really," Severus answered.

"Don't you go making fun of her. She's a great person," Lily warned.

"I won't," Severus promised. "I'm just amazed because I'm thinking about leaving this job soon too."

Lily beamed. "How wonderful! Tell me everything."

And so he did before they locked themselves in their bedroom.

555

On Shell Cottage's porch, Harry Potter smelled the surrounding morning air, salty and sweet. The night before had been dramatic. But was as dramatic as the other points along the path of his life. What mystified Harry was the extent Fleur believe in them being from another world and how eager she was to help their quest to return home.

The Fleur of this world did actions drastically different from what he considered normal Fleur. She jumped at the chance to research with Hermione on ways home. The Fleur he knew would rather handle problems with her hands, not reading. The Fleur he knew accused him of cheating the time something strange happened to him. This Fleur believed their intrusion into her world as simply bad luck. Nothing malignant. And Harry did nothing to help Fleur like when Harry saved Gabrielle in the lake.

"What are you thinking about?" The friend of Fleur's arrived and sat on the chair next to Harry.

"Just things. The differences and all," Harry replied.

"Awe," the woman nodded. "Must be strange. I'm Danielle, by the way."

"Harry," Harry provided.

"Oh, I know a Harry. A few years younger than me in Hogwarts. Nice guy, though he does allow people to push him around too much. Me, I would never," Danielle revealed.

"Oh," Harry answered. "That's cool, maybe your talking about my alternate self." Strange to say words like alternate self. Like he had a clone. Oh, that would be nice. Nice to have someone to fill in for all the challenges he had to complete for his destiny.

"No," Danielle countered. "His hair is darker."

At that moment, an owl glided towards them, lightly placing its foot on Danielle's leg, letter out. After Danielle took it, the owl pecked softly on Harry's cheek as Danielle read the letter.

Danielle snorted after she was done, snarling, "Typical Potter. Always placing me in the wrong. "

Potter. This once friendly girl said Harry's last name like Snape. Like his name was sin. Harry hated it when Snape did it and hated it even more now. Too many critics always appeared, scorning his identity as if it was poison ruining their brains. "You really shouldn't say a last name like that. It makes it seem like your hating everyone they're related to."

Still looking at the letter, Danielle replied, "Well, you don't know the Potters. A bunch of conniving idiots. I went to the school with one of them and he ruined my reputation. I won't go into the details. I'm beyond that. The father just cheers him on. And the Potter I'm complaining about. Well, let me tell you, she never does her work. Always sitting around, gossiping, collecting galleons like they're marbles."

The negative words about his mother surprised Harry. No one ever disparaged her before. "You don't like Mrs. Potter? Lily Potter."

Danielle dropped the letter and turned towards Harry. "What? I'm talking about Juliet Potter." Then, she slapped her hand against her forehead. "Oh, different world, different marriages. A world without the power twits team must be wonderful."

"Its not," Harry snapped. First, she marked the name Potter. Now, she implied that a world without his father was ideal. Here she lived in a world of peace and spent her time, instead of cherishing her bloodless life, picking on people. "James Potter is dead. And the world is in war. You should be glad to live in this world."

Not waiting for her reply, Harry ran into the house, slamming the door behind him with a crack.

555

St. Mungos Hospital was Justin Potter's childhood playground. He spent too many afternoons playing with tea sets in the tearoom and many objects he was not suppose to touch. Most of the employees had stories about being pranked by him when they were trying to do their job. Marvin Clearwater still bore a clip of quill in his hair thanks to Justin's decision to stick Healer Mallory's cut cream on it. Darlene Parkinson jumped at the sight of his dirty brown hair. Darlene would never forget the time he dropped a bottle of Blood Replenishing potion mixed with other unnamed potions over her, causing her skin to boil and veins to burst.

Yes, Justin Potter was a very vicious child.

Most would be scared sneaking in a hospital, but not him. Not only was the hospital Justin's second home. It was also the place for rampant adventure. Plus, sneaking in it was way too easy. For once, his staggering legs were not an issue. He could just wave his falling downs off.

For once, he was above security. He could enter any room and touch anything thanks to the security being based on blood. Since his blood contained the blood related to his mother's, Justin was in the clear.

Justin smiled as he walked by employees, waving at the ones he liked and smiling creepily at the ones he scorned. They did not question his appearance either because they thought he was coming to see his mother or because they did not want to deal with a menace.

What Justin knew about rune identification numbers was that they were placed in a registry in a special filing room in every public organization in the magical room. The numbers were similar to something called social security numbers that Justin learned in his Muggle Studies class. The numbers, instead of being processed when a person was born, were inherited from blood and discovered by a small blood sample from each baby. The number emerged from a simple spell that enumerated the rune identification number. The other runes showing partnership or enemy came from when wizards did spells similar to the one Justin did the night before.

When Justin turned the corner near the registry room, he ran into Healer Mallory. Healer Mallory was a jovial man who adored Justin's mum since they were childhood friends. Once he noticed it was Justin, Healer Mallory slapped Justin lightly on the back. "Good to see you, little Potter."

"You too," Justin answered. "Just visiting mum."

"I see. That's good of you. She's had a pretty stressful night. No sleep. See, one of her underlings left her job with no notice at all. Distasteful ethic I say. I tried to convince your mother to fire Ms. Meyers, but she said, 'No way. She's the best I got.' Charming mother you have."

Justin beamed at the praise for his mum. She certainly was the best. While his dad was perfect for mischievous enterprises, his mother was the right outlet to work with and support his more scientific pursuits. "She sure is."

Healer Mallory left after a bear patronus came telling him some news about a patient.

Finally, Justin reached the room. Normally, Justin would do a quick presence spell, but he was satisfied with his position and believed that no one would bother his search.

This was the first time Justin ever entered this room by himself. Usually he entered with his mother when she wanted to share with him the interesting registry list of people. "Every muggle-born," his mum once shared. "Provides a bit of blood before they start Hogwarts or join a private homeschooling group so they can be added to the registry."

That was good because Justin dreamed last night about a scene from his childhood. Strange to think such a bad dream could help him.

_Terry and Justin laughed as they ran after Michael with their broomsticks outside at the Quidditch Pitch. They were about to tickle Michael in the spine with their brooms when a girl in their year interrupted them. _

_Her bushy brown hair fell down over her shoulders in uneven huffs. Her crooked teeth smudged against her lips. Her robes bore the Gryffindor badge. She looked at them with a frown. "What are you doing? Chasing your housemate. You really should leave him alone."_

"_Oh, mind your business," Justin snorted. "We're just fooling around. Go bother your friends." _

"_Oh, wait," Terry smirked. "Aren't you the Beaver? The Muggle-born girl who is a danger to us all."_

"_The Beaver," Justin laughed. "Now I remember. You're the one always telling teachers about our pranks. Causing us to get too many detentions. And the one who intrudes conversations with a passion."_

"_Her teeth are so big, that her bottom lip will eventually fall off," Michael added. "On that day she'll finally return to the family she belongs. All those beavers." _

"_Then we will finally be free from the Beaver," Justin concluded. "But first lets see how she survives as a human in the Forbidden Forest. Would be amusing. Expelliarmus." _

_Beaver's wand in his pocket, Justin jumped on his broom. Terry and Michael clasped their hands greedily together and then grabbed the arms of the girl, pulling her tightly in their grasps. _

_The three friends flew to the middle of the forest and Terry placed her on the ground. "Bye-bye," they cheered._

_Tears splattered down the girl's face while she promised, "Some day you three will regret bullying Hermione Granger." _

When Justin awoke that morning, much like Hermione's in Justin's dream, tears splattered down Justin's face. How could he have been so cruel, so unruly to someone who had not even bothered him with anything more than a few words?

Now he pressed his hand against the registry's crystal ball, stating, "Hermione Granger."

The ball sparkled bright red and hummed. Then, the following words emerged.

_Hermione Jean Granger _

_Status: Muggle-Born _

_Parents: Joseph and Michelle Granger _

_Location: Nice, France_

_Rune identification number: Fwooper, salamander aka. 46_

_Current School: Beauxbatons Academy of Magic _

_Former School: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (only for two months of First Year) _

"Merlin," Justin exclaimed. "I knew her. She is the same girl."

Then realization struck him and, like the klutz he was, Justin banged into the registry, causing the crystal ball to fall and shatter. Large pieces of the ball clanged against the floor while an alarm rang.

_She's out for revenge, _Justin realized.

Even more worrisome, Justin was clueless about her next attack.

555

Before the alarm rang, Juliet Potter considered her morning admirable. While Juliet was bothered that Danielle left without warning, she was relieved that Danielle at last obtained a replacement. Amber Scott was a sweet girl. Juliet enjoyed having breakfast with her. They mocked Bellatrix Lestrange's expressions and bonded over their passion for studying cures for troll warts.

After breakfast, Juliet sent a sweet letter to Danielle requesting a meeting.

It read.

_Hi Danielle,_

_I heard you had to leave before the end of your shift. I hope your friend is well. If you need any help, I would gladly assist. I am glad your acquired a stand-in. Still, I have to disapprove your action because the proper protocol would be to notify me. I know your shift is not till eight, but I hope to meet with you earlier. How does eleven this morning sound? If not, what time today would work? Please owl me back with your answer. _

_Best,_

_Healer Potter_

When Danielle entered her office, Juliet noticed Danielle bore an amazed glint in her eyes and a sheepish frown. Juliet recognized that glint from the many times her husband carried with him before he divulged a secret.

"Mrs. Potter," Danielle nodded.

"Hi, Danielle," Juliet replied and motioned to the chair on the other side of her desk. "Please, sit down."

After Danielle sat, Juliet asked, too curious to remain reticent, "Well, what's the secret? I can tell your bursting to reveal it."

"Oh, nothing," Danielle replied blankly. "Just some matter with friends."

"All right, enjoy your secret." Juliet decided to allow Danielle her fun. "So this meeting is about your disregard for protocol. I understand that you had an emergency and, while I am grateful you received a suitable appointment, you should have notified me before you left. I just want to make sure you understand."

"Don't worry, I do," Danielle insisted.

Juliet relaxed into her chair. "Good. So, would you like to hear about what happened to Healer Mallory yesterday?"

"Sure," Danielle answered.

While Juliet told the story, she noticed that Danielle began with wavering attention, but soon became captivated when she began the part where Healer Mallory discovered the necessary spell to unwind a patients hands from their back.

After Danielle left with a colloquial farewell, Juliet grinned when her friends Camilla and Sirius Black came in with her husband. The four discussed the plans for James's upcoming birthday party. James loved all the ideas Juliet and her friends created the night before.

"I always wanted a famous Quidditch player to come to one of my parties. Gwenog Jones is going to rock the pitch." James grinned.

"Nothing obscene, do you hear me," Juliet warned.

James went to sit onto of her and whispered to her ear, "Oh don't you worry, my Juliet, you're the only woman I dare to touch."

"I have a right to be scared," Juliet announced. "She's younger than me and much more remarkable."

"Don't kid yourself. You're completely special. My eyes will always burn while I look at yours. Unnatural for the deep blue sea, but you always were charmingly unnatural," murmured James, his murky smell clogging Juliet's nose as he kissed her lips.

The cozy moment dissipated with the ringing of the alarm.

Juliet ran, through the maze of halls, followed by the others to the location of the deafening sound. Left, right, left again, they ran to discover the source of the security breach.

The scene that awaited them shocked them all. Large pieces of a crystal ball trampled the floor. Justin lunged on the floor, his head clamping against the red carpet, shaking like a little kid in trouble. He ranted with little breaths, "The Beaver is going to tear me, kill me in pieces, cut my throat and laugh while I die. Why me? Why me?"

At the same time, Darlene Parkinson laughed, "What a foolish boy." Slapped him on the knee. "Why did you sneak into this room, you twerp?"

James yelled, "Justinian Tybalt Potter, what have you done?"

Juliet walked over to Justin and squatted on her knees whispering softly, "Justin, its all right. Everything will be all right." Truly, Juliet was scared. Her son never acted insane before. Accusations would stimulate more disorder. Times like these called for patience and empathy. Unfortunately, James and Darlene were eroding her efforts.

"Justinian, answer me," James demanded. Standing with his arms crossed.

"He broke the registry," Darlene accused. "He sneaked in to steal it."

James turned to Darlene, "And what about security? Did you decide to turn it off?"

Wanting to prevent a fight, Juliet interrupted, "The security is blood only. Justin could get in because he's related to me."

Sirius snorted. Camilla groaned. James bellowed, "What? You tell me this ward runs with the worst security system? What's wrong with St. Mungos?"

"We never had a problem like this before," Juliet retaliated. "But we will fix our security problem. Now Darlene, I will handle Justin's punishment to ensure this doesn't happen again. You can go back to working."

"You can't tell me what to do," Darlene retorted.

Juliet smiled. "Actually, I can. I'm on a hire level than you. You have to follow my orders."

Darlene warned, "Someday, you will get what you deserve, you hear me Potter? A nice inferi bath."

Juliet cringed from yet another unenforceable threat. Many years sped along with Juliet and Darlene working together and each year no threat came to fruition.

James remained indignant. "Explain yourself." He taped his feet. "Now. I'm waiting."

Finally, though still shaking wildly, Justin explained, "The people who appeared at school yesterday came for revenge. To punish me for something I did years ago."

"Oh," Juliet sighed. "You came to find out about the visitor that looked like a Potter."

"Yes," Justin replied, tears rolling down his cheeks and he pressed his body against Juliet, desperate for a hug. Juliet hugged him back and kissed his forehead.

James intruded, pulling them apart and looked at both Justin and Juliet's faces, ordering, "What person? What have none of you told me about?"

"Yeah," Sirius pestered. "I would like to know what happened myself."

"Oh," Camilla cried. "Don't go ganging up on them. This all happened yesterday."

"Yesterday," James and Sirius bellowed together.

"Yesterday," James repeated alone. "Huh, well Justin I need to talk to your mother. Sirius can you take Justin back to school, take his broom and tell the Headmistress that he is not allowed to fly for a month. We'll talk about what happened later." Then his voice turned comforting while stating, "Like mum said, everything will work out, I promise."

Sirius accepted James's request. Camilla pulled an arm around Justin's shoulder and Justin, Sirius and Camilla hurried out to the Floo Station.

Juliet recounted Lily Snape's visit and the story she learned yesterday afternoon from Headmistress McGonagall.

"And you never told me," James yelled. "Why do you never tell me anything? Here, Evans accuses me of infidelity and you let me walk around clueless."

Juliet personally found it appalling that James still called Lily Snape by her maiden name. But she disliked attacking people. She preferred to be peacemaker. That is the reason why she lied so much.

Every lie emerged small. She disliked jam. She said she did. Then, she denounced any reason to say contrary later because that would only encourage a ruckus. James woke her up with a plate filled with jam-covered toast. She thanked him and ate every disgusting bite. The truth is revealed and all she can do is apologize. Sirius offers her jam and she declines while describing its foul flavor. He tells James. The cycle occurred again and again. Over time, the lies become more and more disastrous.

In the present, James waited. Juliet apologized. James sat by her, clutching her hand and asked, "When will you start trusting me?" James watched her, unwavering. His face scrunched in pain. "When?"

"I do trust you," Juliet insisted, "I just didn't have time to tell you. This has nothing to do with my previous lying."

He walked to the door. His back faced her and James sighed, "I don't believe you. You lost too many chances."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. **

Chapter 7:

Dobby rubbed his hand against the soft, blue sock the sweet Flurry gifted him an hour ago. Not as special as the dusty, scratchy the great Harry Potter freed Dobby with. But a special sock nonetheless.

Dobby was happy. Happy. Happy. Happy. Death almost reached him yesterday, but his freedom saved him. Finally, after months of worrying over Harry Potter, Dobby did not need to worry. He could help Harry Potter in a whole new world.

As a young elf, Dobby never imagined he would every experience this tingling feeling of light ease. Instead, he lived the constant feeling of overloaded tremors. The evil Malfoy master thrust his hand against Dobby's father's throat and squeezed him tight. Bad. Bad. Man. Poor. Poor. Dad.

The spoiled little twat Malfoy forced him to scrub dirt of his shoes as he stomped over Dobby's hands. Ungrateful. Ungrateful. Brat. Unlucky. Unlucky. Dobby.

Dobby struggled through many years of cruelty. He loved to serve, but those Malfoy's cruel punishments rattled him. He knocked his head against banisters and tables for his misdemeanors. How Dobby resented his coward younger self who longed for a chance to serve a hero. The elf who accepted their cruelty instead of striving for his dream of freedom.

Now Dobby was home in a room of great heroes. Random books scattered in every area of the floor. Flurry and Hermy had looked through every one earlier that morning. Each volume featured detailed works on the strangest of occurrences by wizarding scholars. The red book with grey stripes was Sebastian Sewlyn's masterpiece on the time paradox and its inconsistencies. The dusty book near Flurry's hip contained Abraxas Malfoy's papers on demons and how to contact them through amulets. A book toppled over the edge of the coach. That book shared myths of every nature by Pandora Lovegood.

Dobby easily accepted the news about traveling to this alternate universe. Anything can happen with his good, good master. What greatness this journey brought. Like there new friend Flurry. The funny Bill Weasely who liked to rub his head and complain about insanity.

The best part was this wonderful morning of research with two great witches. Hermy, Flurry and Dobby read, made notes. The other two loved the lemonade Dobby made. That surprised Dobby because while Dobby was great cleaner, Dobby was horrid cook. Flurry's beautiful eyes shined as she complimented the extra sweetness of the juice.

After a few hours of reading, the three conversed in a stream of funny batter. Flurry shared her great fight with a sphinx. After failing to answer a riddle, the sphinx attacked and Flurry decapitated the beast with a thrusting kick on its shins. She learned the move from a karate class her muggle-born friend dragged her to. Hermy returned with her magnificent struggle with a toad woman. She used her wits to trick the toad woman to follow her into the Forbidden Forest for a nonexistent weapon. Dobby talked about his discovery of a great way to wear socks. After a long workday, socks around his neck alleviate muscle tension well.

"Yes!" Flurry suddenly cheered. "I know our first step."

Hermy leaped out of her chair and sat next to Flurry. Flurry showed the section she read. Hermy first raised her eyebrows. Then, closed her eyes, thinking hard. After many minutes, Hermy cried, "Oh. That's it. We just need to remember. Let see. I need to ask Harry and Ron. My memories of the event are frazzled." Then, Hermy's eyes reached Dobby and her neck rocked again. "First, Dobby, do you remember holding anything before you apparated?"

Dobby struggled to remember the moment before his apparation. He threw some bad master Malfoy wands. Oh, Harry grabbed his hand. And nasty Bellatrix threw something at him. "Nasty Bellatrix threw something at Dobby."

Hermy nodded. "What?"

Dobby banged his head against the couch. "Bad Dobby. Bad Dobby." Dobby could not remember. His brain screwed his purpose to bring heroes home.

Hermy clasped his left shoulder with a squeeze and kissed his forehead. "Relax. Dobby. It's already. Please, don't hurt yourself again. You're a free elf. Remember."

Flurry scooched over to sit next to Dobby's right side. Flurry chided, "How horrible Eenglish are. Treating you elvs like pests. In France, elves aren't trash. We don't even have them. We work ourselves. All, I see from Eenglish 'ouse encourages me to bring your kind to France. For good life and good work."

Hermy gasped, "You like Fleur I know, but different too. She would never say that. She would not care."

Flurry laughed. "Maybe she just doesn't show how much she cares about others."

A picture of memory from that night formed before Dobby then. "Harry Potter dropped goblin in the middle of darkness. And a knife hit my middle."

Dobby edged up the cloth covering his skin to reveal a forming scab near his heart.

"What's going on?" Dobby's favorite voice asked. The great Harry Potter and his Wheezy had arrived. Flurry pointed at Dobby's cut and explained, "A knife mixed with Dobby's blood while apparating and it."

"Brought us here," Hermy finished.

555

In a dark, silent hallway of Hogwart's castle, Harry Snape gripped two almost identical, small knifes. He easily took the first from Merope Gaunt's office and the second from his father's desk.

A migraine pressed inside his forehead an hour before when Harry struggled to decipher Latin etched on each knife. From far away the markings appeared as smudges. From close-up Harry could see that the markings were letters connected to one another. Some letters even imposed over other letters like a collage. The letters ranged in all grayscale colors. The only difference between both knifes were the words sketched on them.

The hallway was close to the Ravenclaw Tower. Harry hoped Potter would appear soon so he could confront him.

An hour earlier, Harry confirmed from his Latin dictionary the meaning of the words on both knifes.

The first. The one Harry stole from the Hospital Wing wrote: _Undecim_ _Potterí unctorum est._

Harry could not locate the first word, but knew it was something belonging to Potter. Something Potter related that was the anointer. Harry laughed when he figured it out. The answer to the mysterious event yesterday was so obvious; yet another Potter prank. Still, it was interesting that Potter went to so much trouble to copy one of his father's knifes.

The other. The one Harry borrowed from his father's office. The knife that sat near a basket of partly cut molfskins wrote: _In fide__ó__ bonó chaosum venit._

Harry liked the motto on the real knife. He saw good faith bringing chaos everyday. Everyday, people trusted idiots because they trusted others with no vengeance. In the end, all their pure trust will ruin his peers by them all becoming failures. He could see them, ten years from now, still living out of their parent's pockets with no remarkable success. Especially Potter. In ten years, Potter will relax in his home and go to parties. Potter would not join Harry's future as a proud Ministry Head.

Potter though himself so special. People aided Potter's superiority complex with calling him the King. Every non-Slytherin in their year rushed to do his bidding as his docile, loyal subjects. Funny, that Justinian really referred to a Byzantine Emperor. Harry rather liked keeping that humorous fact to himself as he could only imagine the ridiculous things Potter would do as Emperor of Hogwarts class of 1998. Since emperor carried a much more pretentious connotations.

Harry could not wait to be in his father's position: laughing at his rival's ordinary, unambitious life.

Loud shouts reached Harry's ears. Harry walked over, hoping that the Ravenclaws who just left the tower were his quarry. No such luck. Just silly Luna Lovegood humming as she glided down the hallway with her eyes closed.

"Hello," Luna whispered as she passed Harry. "Wow, the show inside is something I'm sure you like Mr. Snape."

"What do you mean?" Harry gently asked. When dealing with Lovegood the best action was direct words since that left her no room to interpret strange things.

"Justin and his friends are off to France. To apologize," replied Luna. "They never once apologized for stealing my mom's necklace last year. Ah. If only I had friends. At least I hid my butterbeer caps."

Harry had too much self-respect to demean himself like Luna. For some reason the girl was unembarrassed to address her sappy situation. Well, whatever her reason, it did not impact his life.

"Are they coming out soon?"

Luna giggled a harping sound. "They already left. Minutes ago. Daddy once shared a story about when he waited around for Mum in this hallway like your waiting for the emperor and his knights. Like the emperor she never left the tower. Choosing instead the Raven secret way."

What? After all these years challenging Potter and he never knew they had a secret way out of the tower. He must find out what it was or somehow decipher one of the eagle's convoluted riddles.

"Oh," Harry squeaked. "Well, I guess I'll go. No point standing around."

Luna waved and continued past.

While Harry walked downstairs he contemplated the best way to confront Potter. He wanted to do it in a private way since this prank lead him to diverting his time to heedless translations. Theo was right. He should have studied instead.

As Harry walked past the Great Hall he noticed a small shadow on the wall. The shadow was shaped like a house-elf. Below the shadow was a muttering elf. "Dobby couldn't find knife. Dobby failed. Bad. Terrible Dobby. Great Master will be upset."

Dobby. Harry heard that name before. Yesterday right before the actors left.

"Hello, there," Harry called. He beaconed the elf with his hand. "I hear your looking for a knife. I just couldn't happen to be this?" Harry pulled out the knife from his pocket.

The elf reached for the knife and Harry quickly tucked it back next to the duplicate in his pocket. The elf clasped his pocket and Harry kicked it with his knee.

"No. No. No," mocked Harry. "Your not going to get it till you bring me to." Harry paused trying to remember what the elf said before the departure. Oh, right. His name clasped with the foulest family. "Harry Potter."

555

Three teenagers stood by a small little red, brick house. In front of the house was a beautiful dirt patch carved in elegant lumps. Green buds tapped against the dirt from a nearby tree. Inside the house was a family of three. Two were English dentists who transferred to a practice in France about six years ago. They missed their home county, but were glad to free their only daughter from an insufferable school. The daughter was home because of a school holiday. The daughter enjoyed going to a French school where bullies where scolded and punished by professors. A school where her fellow students respected her even though she distanced from their tries at social interactions. The daughter considered herself lucky to be free from ties that could hurt her.

Many events lead to the three teenagers who lingered outside the front door. Earlier, one, Justin Potter returned from his trip to the hospital to their dorm room. Justin lumped on his bed and rasped grunts while he banged his head against his pillow. A few minutes later, the other two teenagers, Anthony and Terry, discovered him squeezing his pillow tight like a teddy bear.

Anthony slapped him on the back and asked what was wrong.

After hearing the story, the three decided to visit Hermione.

"It would be good to get her forgiveness and leave this revenge before we get hurt," Terry concluded.

When they asked about finding Beauxbatons, their housemate Olive Prewett was glad to share that the school was on break. Her cousin Gidefab Prewett went to that school.

"I'm so much luckier then Gide," Olive shared six years ago after they laughed over her cousin's name. "Dad and Uncle Gid insisted on naming their first son with a combo of their name. Aunt Marion was very displeased. She preferred a more French name like Henri. As the first girl, I got the pretty name. Their favorite vegetable."

They changed into Terry's collection of muggle clothes before Terry reserved them a ferry ride to France. They could not apparate over an ocean without being detected. Luckily, no detection was involved once they were in a different country. Once they reached Nice, Terry quickly hacked into the town directory and located the Granger dwelling.

Now they reached their destination and none of the three were ready to knock the door. All afraid of what Hermione would say.

"Its your idea Justin," Terry argued. "You knock on the door."

"No," Justin resisted. "She used my name in the prank. I'm the most in danger. Anthony has only been along for the ride. I talked to Olive. You did all the muggle stuff. Its Anthony's turn."

"No way," Anthony cried. "I'm not touching that door. I bet once I do it will burn me alive and cause me to grow beaver teeth."

All through their journey the three discussed the possibility that Hermione planned to cause marred teeth like they mocked her for.

Sometimes, like now, Justin detested his friends. They strayed far away from any type of confrontation and forced him to do the dirty work. He was a Potter and Potters were the leaders. Again, he will have to do the hard stuff.

"All right," Justin announced. "I'll knock."

Justin concentrated on the sounds around him. He needed to enjoy one last peaceful moment. He breathed through his nose and coughed. Right. The right way is through his abdomen. He breathed again, inhaling the fresh air. He walked slowly over to the Granger's house door. His hand lightly pressed against the door not making a sound. Justin breathed again. A musical sound ringed in his ears. The sound increased as Justin stood by the door for a minute.

"Are you going to knock it or not?" Terry asked bitterly.

Justin knocked. They waited a minute. Justin knocked again with a larger bang. Justin heard a swishing sound from within the house. The door opened and revealed a woman with long brown hair and blue eyes.

"Bonjour." The woman shook Justin's hand and then did the same with Anthony and Terry. "Le sabot est dans la sale de bain. Merci."

She led them in. "Vous êtes assez jeune pour travailler. Combien de temps avez-vous travaillé pour l'entreprise?"

"Um," Justin began. "We don't speak French. We're here to see Hermione."

The woman gasped, "Oh. What for?"

Justin shrugged his shoulders. "Just some personal matters. Is she home?"

"Yes. But I know my daughter is not the one for visitors. Are you here for her work? Not for you." The woman shook her head and gestured to the door. "Out."

"No," Justin countered. "I have something important to tell her. Did you know she was at Hogwarts yesterday?"

The woman roared, "Don't mention that blasted school." She leaned closer, inspecting Justin with her finger. "Good riddance. Messy hair. Dumb face. You must be that tosser who ruined her. Out."

"No. Mum," a new voice interrupted. "I like to talk to him. All three of them. It's been too long. Its time we resolve our strife."

Justin turned around and recognized Hermione Granger leaning against the wall. Her hair was long and ragged, all the way to her hips. Her eyes were highlighted with dark globs. Her nose marked with red acne stains. Her two front teeth proudly touched her outer bottom lip. All and all the same unattractive girl he remembered.

Yet, she appeared unafraid with her aloof scratching on the wall behind her and clucking of her tongue.

"Well," Hermione began. "I guess you're here to apologize."

"Yes," Anthony stammered. "We're sorry. Very, very sorry."

"Yeah," Terry agreed. "We should have left you alone. We were dumb."

While Justin's friends talked Hermione stared into Justin's eyes. Watching him and chomping her lips like a spider munching its prey.

Justin did not like the creepy shiver running down his back. His impulse was to run out before Hermione devoured him. But, his logical, stubborn mind demanded closer. "I saw you at school yesterday. Good prank. Great revenge. Just please don't do that again. Can you just forget about us? I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. I just want you to leave us alone. An unlogical conclusion, I know. We hurt you and haunt you. That is unforgivable."

Hermione smidged her upper lip up and rubbed her bottom lip underneath it. She walked over to Justin while stretching her arms before her. "Your right about most things. I will never forget the feeling of being lost in that forest alone. The chills of the wind and covered by darkness. Stuck in a maze where identical trees covered every path. Your words repeated in my mind. Beaver. Beaver. Beaver. Well, I'm not a beaver. I thank you for you showed me that I am not apart of the human race. I don't belong with silly humans. I found home with the Acromantulas. Aragog and Mosag became my parents. They came with me to France. For that I thank you. I have a family that doesn't care about ridiculous elitists, clothes and appearances. I couldn't be happier. No I was not at your school yesterday. And yes, I don't forgive you. I never will."

Hermione's mother thrust besides Hermione and grasped a ruffle of Justin's shirt. "See what you done to my girl. My girl. My girl. My girl. She no longer accepts me. She is so distant. It's your entire fault. I should…"

Hermione pulled her off. "No, woman obliged to care. I know if you weren't my mother you wouldn't care. You treat me like all humans. Goodbye, my prey."

Hermione walked swiftly out of the room. Her mother collided to the floor with an enormous bang. "My daughter. My daughter. Your fault. Get out. Get out."

Justin rushed out of the house, Anthony and Terry closed behind. Once Justin reached the front door he collided into a man wearing trousers and carrying a tool kit. "Sorry," Justin quipped before continuing out.

Justin's mind was corroded with self-loathing. He caused this. He caused a daughter to not carrying about her family. He caused a girl to lose her connection to humanity. Worse, the past was a memory he could never change. Justin kicked the road. He struggled to keep his tears from flowing out. He rubbed his eyes furiously and soon his eyes burned.

Meanwhile, his best friends yelled profanities at him. They blamed him for everything. Blame he deserved. "All right. All right," Justin shouted. "My fault. I got it."

"I can't be around you anymore, Justin," Terry shared. "You are horrible. I don't know why I was ever friends with you."

"Hear, hear," Anthony echoed.

Justin turned to face them. "But you both agreed. You're my friends. We promised that we always care for each other regardless of anything."

Anthony and Terry shook their heads. Anthony punched him in the shoulder.

"You know what I think?" Terry asked. "I think the Snapes are right. You Potters are evil people."

The two walked away leaving Justin alone in the streets. Evil. Was he evil? He was bad. Oh, Justin knew he could be cruel and that he lived for enjoyment. But he could not comprehend himself as evil. He would not kill. Yet, he once bullied. Was that unforgivable? Could he hope for redemption?

His friends were just overacting. That's it. They never saw the true results of their actions before. That's all.

555

Dobby talked and talked with boy with emerald eyes. Boy with Dobby's favorite eyes. Boy was good. Boy was nice. Boy was frisky and curious like Harry Potter. Boy had Harry Potter's first name. But would Dobby's friends like Dobby not doing what Dobby was told to do. They usually understood. Dobby was free elf and Dobby had idea to make Harry Potter happy. Introduce him to friendly boy who stole the knife.

Dobby should not do that. Shouldn't. Shouldn't. Shouldn't. But he had Harry Potter's eyes. Harry Potter deserved to meet someone who could have been his family.

"Dobby agrees. Dobby will introduce you to Dobby's friends."

"Great," other Harry replied. "When can we go?"

Dobby grabbed other Harry's hand. "With Dobby now."


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. **

Chapter 8

Hermione Granger of the acromantulas peered out the window of the room her parents forced her to live in during her school's breaks. Hermione much rather spend her time in the cave with Papa Aragog, Mama Mosag and the rest of her true family. No lethargic window stills and dull brick walls. Instead a nice carved location where Hermione and her family could eat together. Despite joining in her family's eating circle, Hermione refrained from their preferred meal of human. Instead, she usually ate a nice steak prepared by Mama.

Outside her window the boys appeared to fight. She saw a lot of hand movements and Potter frowning his pretty pink lips. He looks so sad. The two lackeys walked away leaving her least favorite person alone. Hermione longed for this day for many years. The day Justin finally accepted he was doomed and she could move on. Not that she would move on. Forgetting was weak.

Hermione fingered the mark of eight eyes on her wrist. Mama designed it with her sharp nails the day Hermione was inducted into the family. The induction occurred near Papa's favorite yew tree. When she first came to the tree, all tall and greenish yellow, provided her strength.

The day Hermione first appeared in her Papa's home, the spider soon recognized that she was like the Hagrid. A man who Papa both loved during his childhood and betrayed the family.

Hagrid once believed survival of the fitness was fixated at understanding that one needs to exert their superiority. That was what Hermione's family does. They warned every intruder of the chance of them becoming prey. They never fear their brutal impulses. Hagrid ridiculed his animal connection once he finished school. Hermione vowed never to do the same.

Hermione apparated to her family's French home. Lines and geometric pictures ordained the cave's walls. Many etched by the claws of her younger brothers and sisters. Including Hermione's depiction of her first meeting with them. A small stick figure encompassed by a circle of spiders bowing. They bowed for Hermione for she was the girl unfavorably treated by humans and they knew she had the wit necessary for the family's secret mission.

"Hermione," her little sister Sahog cried as Hermione entered the cave. Immediately, a procession of her other little siblings followed. Each walked on their eight legs. Soon, Hermione experienced the sensation of many large legs over her head. Some bobbed their mouth on her cheek. All greeted Hermione with happiness. One, Taraholog greeted with urgency as well.

"Papa needs to see you," Taraholog exclaimed. One of her front claws absentmindedly pointed to the deep center of the dwelling.

The back of the cave was adorned with interwoven cobwebs. Papa rested on his back with his tired eyes. Mama stood over him, rubbing his belly gently with her front right claw. Papa looked worse than ever before. Hermione believed she saved him last spring when he was sick with a remedy she created from muggle chemicals. From her cure, Papa emerged from a ghastly creature to a leader ready for conquering. They made so many strides to completing the family's plan the past year. But, tonight, Hermione realized, the illness returned.

"Hermahog," Papa greeted quietly. "My girl, I don't have much longer. But I need to tell you that I trust you can complete the mission."

Hermione sat next to him and grasped one of his claws tightly in her hands. She placed it against her cheek. "I won't have to without you Papa. I have some more of the remedy back in the birthers home. You will survive."

The claw in her hand pressed deeper in her cheek and a light cut broke. Droplets of blood fell down Hermione's neck. She ignored the pain for she was accustomed to pain and had some murlap. Hermione talked over Gramp's law in her head for a moment to regain her composure. For Papa would detest expressions of sadness over him.

"Hagrid is sure the illness will return. I don't have much time left. I only want is to die knowing your life is good. Tell me about your day. In the next life, we'll both be spiders. I need some human story now."

Hermione told Papa about her encounter with her former tormentors.

At the end, Papa sighed. He looked exhausted and his claws were hanging low, static. "I'm glad we were able to move you away to France. But I think its time for you to return."

555

Old cloaks hanged from the ceilings of The Goat Pen. Many forts clung together by magic into many triangle shapes. The several forts throughout the restaurant reminded Harry Potter of the tent he endured the past few months. By the bar was a portrait that depicted an old goat pecking the frame. Harry needed to squint to see anything in this dark and dusty atmosphere.

Harry and his two best friends obtained seats by a rocking table. Ron munched on his bacon sandwich while Hermione sipped some tea and ate her roast beef sandwich. Harry relaxed as cool fresh water descended down his throat.

Harry listened to some customers in the table next to them discussing muggles in a strange way. At least in an unexpected way that contradicted to his previous experiences in the wizarding world. They talked as if they knew muggles. They talked as if it was normal for muggles to visit wizarding schools. In fact they were ridiculing the protesters who threatened muggles into Hogsmeade.

"Ridiculous. I was talking to Seb the other day. People were staring at us at Hogsmeades, some protesters even threw water spells and hexes," exclaimed an elderly witch as she flicked her curly gray hair. "Really, Seb has lived in the magical world for years and he always loved seeing things he could never do. Sickle those puritists."

Her friend, a lanky blond man nodded. "Thank goodness for Minster Perkins. I don't know what we'll do without him. I say ignore those idiots."

"Hear, hear." The last member of the table, a short man with a long beard, raised his glass. "To sniffing out those buggers."

Ron laughed returning Harry's attention to his friends. "I like this world," Ron shared. "So much cheer."

Harry cast a silent Muffliato. He did not want any curious minds to hear. Too many people were already privy to their status.

"No blood purity controlling everything," Hermione agreed. "I think that after we finish the war we should return and figure out how this world became like this."

Ron twitched in his seat. He excitedly yelled, "Yeah, a vacation! We'll be the first ones ever to have one."

"We could start a travel agency. Across the Universe," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Start a universe exchange."

Harry liked that idea. Still fears clouded his head. The war was still occurring and every moment until Dobby located that knife was another moment of Voldemort's oppressive regime. Was Ginny all right? Harry looked for her dot this morning and discovered it missing. Images of her lying limp while Voldemort tortured her haunted him. The only solace Harry found was discovering Voldemort's mind frantic over the Taboo business.

"Great idea," Harry shared. "But know that we're reasonably alone I want to tell you about my plan. To break into Gringotts."

He was interrupted by a familiar jovial voice. "What's with all this strange buzzing sound?"

In surprise, Harry stubbed his toe against the table. Ron twitched, almost standing, as if uncertain whether he should cheer. Hermione just smiled, leaking small tears.

The questioner bore the long white hair of the man Harry revered the past few years. Albus Dumbledore stepped over a puddle before sitting on a free chair at their table. The table rocked as Dumbledore's long grey beard clucked against it.

"New spell?" Dumbledore glanced around the room and gestured to a worker who was cleaning glasses at the bar. "Oi, Nick, these folks created some spell. One that sounds like those bees we used to tend to. Remember?"

Harry silently ended the spell. He stared at Dumbledore and longed for him to nod his head with understanding. For Dumbledore say he recognized them as the trio he sent to finish a war. That the Dumbledore he knew was as alive as this one.

The worker left the empty bar. While walking to where they were Nick replied, "Al, I remember it like yesterday. There we were fresh from the war and dealing with those crazy critters. No dragons, no Inferi, just bees, hornets and the nasty yellow jackets. Who thought the heroes of the war could not face some measly pests."

"One buzzed into my ear," Dumbledore continued.

"And would have stuck its stinger if it wasn't for my well timed banishing," Nick finished.

Then the two looked at Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Sorry," Dumbledore apologized. "You look like newcomers so your probably not familiar but at The Goat's Pen the staff often mingle with the customers."

"Its my favorite thing about this place. Something The Leaky Caldron never had," said the gray-haired customer from the table next to them. "I'm Martha, by the way."

"What happened to The Leaky Caldron?" Hermione asked.

"What happened to The Leaky Caldron?" Nick exclaimed. His wrinkles became prominent. At that moment Harry recognized the man as older than he first looked. "It was destroyed during the war."

"What war?" Ron blurted.

"Where are you folks from? The war's old news," The customer with a long beard scooted his chair closer to Harry.

"The countryside," Hermione explained. "We aren't familiar with the political and cultural aspirations of the world. We grew up in a pretty closed-off town."

"Ah," Dumbledore nodded. "That explains it. Well The Leaky Cauldron was destroyed during this war back in the forties so I guess it is not that strange that you haven't heard of it. Time goes so quickly for folks like us. I was in it during the explosion. I saw the two lords wink with pride in the midst of the fire."

"The previous barman, Tom," Nick explained. "Fought valiantly against the two lords. Even when he was cut near his throat, blood spraying everywhere."

"He was so frightened for days after that. Filled with self-loathing, like he should be blamed. So worried that the lords would finish him off," Martha added pensively. "Poor Tom. And they did on the 10th of November."

"November a ten, a day long recalled," the two other customers sang. "Lords whispered and cawed, bend to us or die, aye, aye. No, said Al, the greatest of wizards, hah, hah, dead, dead, aye, aye."

"Eventually the lords were killed by Aberforth," Nick shared and then snorted. "The last line of the song sucks."

"Aberforth," Harry murmured. He heard that name before. Somewhere.

"That's me," Dumbledore, well Alberforth, said. "Its not a joyous story. I am not proud at how it ended."

Nick placed a comforting hand on Alberforth's shoulder. "Enough with sadness, what's your folks names?"

Ron started giggling, obviously thinking about the names the three friends picked earlier. Hermione glared at him.

"Sorry," Ron atoned. "Spare thought."

"I am Sirius Buckbeak," Harry introduced himself. "And these are my cousins Ron and Ginny Buckbeak."

"Buckbeak, you say," a loud voice cried from across the room. "Nice, I once had a Hippogriff named Buckbeak. Bright fellow."

The newcomer stood out in the dark restaurant. He was both taller than human and ginormous in behavior. Rubeous Hagrid clamored to the now crowded section. He bumped into some chairs before sitting down on two chairs next to Alberforth.

"Rubeous," Nick cried and pressed his hands on his heart. "Did you win, please, please?"

Hagrid beamed. "I did. Laura is officially emancipated. She can finally do what she wants without her awful folks." He turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione. "I don't normally talk bad about anyone, but this sweet girl had to deal with the nastiest lot. Can't disclose too much, client confidentially and all, but her parents had the worst notions of non-magical. Using the derogatory term muggle." Hagrid snorted at that word.

"Hagrid here is a lawyer," Nick explained. "Finest one there is."

Hagrid bowed his head, a grin covering his face. "How you charm me. You're the one who helped me talk properly. You guys should have seen me in school. I talked in this accent that no one understood."

"Those stupid idiots," Nick scoffed. "Couldn't deal with a new way of talking. Someday I hope you forget appeasing to those idiots and use your voice again."

Hagrid sighed, "We have this conversation, again and again. I rather have a good job than look like a fool."

"They can go on like this for hours," Martha related. "I side with Nick but Hagrid can always turn the conversation around. He's that amazing a debater."

"Like Hermione," Ron proclaimed. "She can always articulate what she feels without looking freaked."

Well, Harry knew that was an exaggeration. The tent scene revealed the emotions could overthrow Hermione's typical logical demeanor. "Well," Harry added. "She always puts us in our place."

Martha twitched her eyebrows and said, "I hope to meet your friend sometime. To see if she can outdebate Rubeous."

"Yes," Hagrid turned from Nick to them. "I say we need to always know our skills. Like Laura, smart one, is the best dueler I know. And it almost put me in a pickle. You see the prosecution wanted to use one event against her as her abusing her own parents. Luckily I turned it around with a claim of self-defense."

Harry, Ron and Hermione continued to listen to Hagrid and the others. As always, despite declaring not to, Hagrid divulged too much information. At the end of the night, they learned that Laura's parents locked her in a basement for befriending a muggle, used curses they never heard of, like one that flayed skin, and stored muggle blood for profit. Apparently muggle blood caused a terrible potion that turned someone into a moth forever. The Ministry was working constantly on finding an antidote.

555

Fleur chewed on some lamb her husband cooked for dinner. Bill stared at his plate, not eating a bite. She knew he was annoyed and still insisted that their visitors were insane. But she hoped that now that they were out he would calm down and enjoy a peaceful dinner.

Instead she received this quiet meal. Well, if Bill wanted to be sullen, so be it. She did not need to talk to be happy. Like thinking about Hermione. How Fleur wished the Hermione she went to school with was like this girl. This girl was both bright and interesting. A girl Fleur learned so much from. A girl who promised Fleur she would visit again.

After Dobby left to find the knife, Fleur and Hermione engaged in a lively discussion on their lives. Fleur was touched that Hermione trusted Fleur with the knowledge of her world at war. Fleur wished that she could help Hermione face this scary situation. A situation of people lost in a whirlwind of fake governments and the constant fear of death. Fleur saw Hermione's tiny infraction of her lip when she almost said something she could not share. There were so many mysteries. How Fleur wished to join them.

"Pop." The clamoring sound resonated through the kitchen.

They heard a boyish screech, "Ack, why the table, couldn't you do the sofa."

Fleur and Bill rushed to the kitchen. They discovered a boy with short greasy haired lying on his back and wiggling his feet as he tried to place them on the floor. Dobby was next to him pulling on the boy's arm. "Get up. Get up," Dobby whispered.

"I won't get up with you slimy hands on me," the boy cried.

"Well, 'ello," Fleur greeted.

"Flurry," Dobby cried and hopped over to Fleur. "He has knife. Dobby found it."

The boy rolled his eyes as he regained his bearings. His annoyed frown transformed into a beaming smile when he saw Fleur. "Fleur Delacour. I can't believe it. I should've known that a brilliant mind like you did it."

Fleur was unsure which reaction she disliked the most from people. People commenting that she is an airhead. Bill's family's rough dismissal that implied she was an intruder to the family. Or this.

"This is our house," Bill mumbled. "How many intruders are coming Fleur?"

"No more," Fleur asserted. "Why did you bring eest boy Dobby?"

"Harry's Potter eyes and knife," Dobby answered.

The boy continued to look awestruck at Fleur as he took a seat by the food-cutting table. He played with the edges of a cutting board for a few seconds. His eyes glued to Fleur.

"So who put you up with the prank? I guess there is you and Bill. Who else is involved? Maybe Danielle," the boy discerned.

"And you must be?" Fleur guessed the boy was thinking about Hermione and her friends appearing at Hogwarts the day before.

"Harry Snape."

"Oh," Fleur gasped. "Dobby must have wanted 'arry to meet his alternate self."

"He has Harry Potter eyes," Dobby repeated his announcement from before. "And knife to bring Dobby home."

Fleur realized why. This boy had mostly different features from Harry Potter. The only similarities between the two were their noses, cheekbones and eyes. Besides the eyes, they were mostly commonly ignored parts.

"Great job," Fleur patted Dobby on his head. "As soon as 'ermione and friends come you can go 'ome."

"What should we do with the boy?" Bill looked at Harry. His hand itched towards the boy. Fleur imagined this irked Bill grabbing the boy and throwing him out the house.

"Tell him Dobby's story," Dobby insisted. "He make Harry Potter happy when he comes."

"Yes," Harry nodded. "I'll give you the knife in exchange for all the juicy details. What's up with this elf?"

Fleur laughed. Some random boy thinks he deserves to know the truth. Hah.

Bill spilled. "These crazy folks came into our house last night with this ludicrous story of traveling dimensions. For some inconceivable reason Fleur believes them."

Fleur placed her hand on Bill's shoulder and thrust her elbow on his stomach. "Its not that baffling. They are. There are stories about this happening. We live in a world with magic. Nothing is impossible."

Harry rapidly nodded. "I'm with Fleur. Anything's possible."

Bill gave a haughty laugh. "There's no facts for you case."

"Pff," Fleur waved her hand. "You and your not believing in anything anymore. Like ever since you started working at the bank instead of Egypt you believe less and less in mythical things."

"Well in Egypt I learned that some things are just legends. You have no proof that they are not lunatics," Bill insisted sarcastically.

Tired of Bill's continuous assertion that she was wrong, Fleur yelled, "What about the fact they all became calm after they realized they were in a different world. What about the fact Ron knows so much about you. Stuff only a brother would know. What about the fact Hermione had the same childhood as the one I knew?"

"Why are so insistent in believing them?" Bill heaved a sigh and crunched his hand into a fist.

Fleur did not know. Her gut? Hermione's acting with genuine anxiety? Fleur looked at Harry who was peering at her chest. At that moment Fleur realized why. "Because I know what ees like. No one believed I could win that tournament and 'ere I am."

"I did," Harry peeped.

"You never even talked to me," Fleur screamed. Angry because she was trying to convince her fiancé and this boy just had to contribute. Acting like he actually knew her. Fleur returned to Bill. "All that year people were baffled like you were all day. How could she, they say, become champion? Look she lost the first and second task, what a waste, should be me. You must stop this. Acting like those stupid jealous berks. I did things in that maze you could only dream of."

Bills eyelashes flickered before proclaiming. "Its has nothing to do with that. I just know that I'm right."

"If only I could proof it. Get them to allow us to go, just for a second," Fleur whispered. Hermione became irritable the moment Fleur mentioned the possibility. Rattling on about danger.

Harry made an excited whistle, "I have an idea…"

A knock at the door interrupted the idea sharing. Though Fleur guessed Harry's idea had something to do with universe traveling.

Fleur led Bill and Harry to the front door. When she opened the door she discovered a young boy. His dirty blond hair frolicked with the wind and he clutched a letter.

The boy said, "So, I got this letter telling me to come here. Apparently you got what I'm looking for."

The boy glanced over Fleur and snickered, "I knew it was you Snape. I knew it."

555

Ron Weasley expected to return to Shells Cottage with Fleur and Bill lounging on the sofa. He did not expect to find them entertaining two guests with familiar features. One reminded him of his best friends hair in a lighter color and the other made him scream.

"Murderer," Ron yelled, pointing at the boy with Snape's ugly draping hair.

"Snape," Hermione snarled.

Ron noticed Harry staring at the younger replica of his least favorite professor. Harry asked, "Why is there a Snape here, Dobby?"

"A Snape," Dobby said, his big blue eyes flicking between Harry and the Snape. "Dobby don't know what a Snape is. I just brought boy with Harry Potter's eyes. Is Harry Potter not happy."

"Dobby," Ron laughed. "Don't you know Snape is the greasy git who killed Dumbledore?"

"Dumbledore?" The Snape looked confused. Ron liked seeing a face like Snape's without his degenerating sneers. So much better all flopped. "You mean the creepy pub guy?"

"No," Hermione shared. "Our school's headmaster. Fleur what did you tell them?"

Fleur shrugged her shoulders, "I wasn't planning on letting them know but than Bill told them."

Bill laughed, "I'm just trying to warn them about these loonies."

Ron disliked that statement, but the guy with gross hair was the main problem. "Am I the only one who doesn't want a Snape here? A guy like that murderer."

The dirty blond hair boy hollered, "I with ya. The Snape's are all scumbags."

Harry asked, "Are you a Potter?"

"Yep," the boy replied. "I'm Justin Potter. I heard you're from another world. I was freaking out all day. So glad the answer is so simple."

The Snape snipped, "How dare you, call me a murderer. You don't even now you. But I should expect this surrounded by fools brainwashed by Potters."

"Oy," Justin snapped. "We don't do that snicky trick, Snape. You're just jealous that Potters are more likable. Better than your pussy ass."

"Well," Harry explained. "Severus Snape in our world is a murderer. But that has nothing to do with him being a Snape. He's just that bad a person."

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "We should not associate this Snape with the Snape we know."

"He looks just like the bastard," Ron blurted. "The man that betrayed us, the man who ruined all our Potions classes as the DADA class sixth year."

The Snape jumped out his chair and stomped over to Ron. He pressed a sweaty fist against Ron's stomach. "Do you ever call my father a bastard again. He is far better than you'll ever be. I only known you one second and I can already tell you're as bad as a Potter. My father is not the guy you know, so don't act like he should be blamed for what some fool did."

Ron pushed the fist from his chest. "Maybe he is, maybe he isn't but I know for sure I can't stand your face. Your slimy hair. You're…" Ron looked deeply into the Snape's green eyes and gasped, "Harry's eyes."

Dobby squeaked, "Yes boy got Harry Potter's eyes."

Ron became transfixed at these green eyes, as bright as emeralds. Eyes like the ones that laughed when Ron made a joke. Eyes in pain like Harry's were so many terrible times. Why would a Snape have Harry's eyes? It could not be. Snape could never deserve love. Snape was too cruel and too unfair. Snape was a villain. Yet somehow in this world Harry's mother would conceive a Snape.

Ron turned to Harry clumped on a chair, his eyes staring at nothing. Hermione sat next to him. Ron moved over to his friends. Ron made the best joke he could think of, a stupid one, "At least we can say in our world a bat has no wings."

"Huh," Hermione asked.

Ron shrugged his shoulder, "Just making a terrible joke. Can you believe it Lily Potter with Snape? His steaming breath probably scared her for life as his…"

"Ron," Harry croaked. "Don't give me nightmares."

True. Ron realized that the best thing to do was to leave this world. Far away from the possibility of Snape having sex. "Let's leave. Dobby did you get the knife?"

"Dobby does. The Snape gave it to Dobby."

The three friends gathered together with Dobby. Ron noticed Hermione smile at Fleur who smiled back. The Snape and Bill glared while Justin whistled.

"Well," Harry said. "It's been fun, but its time we return home. It probably is a good idea that you all ignore alternate universes. You probably won't like what you find."

Ron hoped Hermione's theory that the knife in house-elf blood caused them to emerge into this new universe. This universe's appeal was dispelled thanks to this new development.

Ron stood with Harry, Hermione and Dobby, their hands together in a line, and watched Hermione gently pressed the knife into Dobby's tiny wrist. Like lifting off on a broom, they disappeared from the room.

The next thing Ron remembered was McGonagall's face staring at him, with a worried frown. He heard Harry and Hermione's waking breaths and Dobby chatting with a woman. The woman chatting with Dobby wore an apron and tied her knotty brown hair in a ponytail.

McGonagall opened her mouth, "Who are you four? Why do you keep apparating into Hogwarts. I need answers."

555

Those folks were a bit dumb. Did not even try to obliviate them or even continue the fight. They just left like he, Harry Snape, did not matter. After calling his father a murderer and bastard. Well, Harry planned to prove them wrong. If Potter wanted to join them, so be it.

"Are you ready to visit another world?" Harry asked.

"Not going to fight with me about me going too?" Potter smirked.

They had fought over the idea before the dimension travelers returned to the cottage. Some hexes were torched.

Harry responded, "Nah, I can leave you as soon as we get there."

Potter called his house-elf. Soon Harry, Potter, Fleur, and Bill formed their own line with Potter's elf. Harry stabbed the arm of Potter's elf with the knife he located in his father's study.

The next thing Harry saw was a man with a pallid face calling, "Alecto, we got visitors."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does.**

Chapter 9:

Professor McGonagall's office as Headmistress appeared vastly different from Dumbledore's. True the roof arched around a familiar huge circular room and the portraits of past Headmasters and Headmistresses, but Professor McGonagall also included some spell that covered the entire wall with a beautiful projection of many wild animals in the jungle. The projection was very lovely, with cute animals running around, some monkeys swinging from trees and water sprinkling about.

Still, Harry missed the stampede of wondrous noises and many windows he remembered from his visits to Dumbledore's office. Instead, only one window - a large window shaped like a star-, stood behind two leather sofas around a circular table.

Professor McGonagall sternly led Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Dobby to one of the couches, before taking the one opposite them, and gestured for them to speak. Harry felt disappointed that they were led to this position, stuck with relying on an adult to help them. They had hoped the knife with house-elf blood would work, but, according to Dobby, the knife caused them to return to the same strange universe's front lawn. The only one awake when landing, Dobby, quickly apparated them to Professor McGonnagall's office, hoping she would help them.

"Hi," Hermione began with a nervous smile. "Thanks for taking the time to listen to us. We really appreciate it and do understand how you have many duties that you need to do. But we are in a bit of a pickle and -"

Someone tapping on the door interrupted Harry's friend.

"Give me a minute, please." Professor McGonagall walked over to the door and allowed two people in.

The sight of a tall man with slightly greasy hair and a hook nose left a bad taste in Harry's mouth. The women holding his hand made Harry feel a bit woozy. Her lovely auburn hair glistened over her shoulders, and though he could not see them, Harry knew she had his emerald green eyes. This was his mother with a man who fulfilled the entire ugly combination of rude git, a bully and murderer. Before, when he first learned of the possibility of his mother marrying Severus Snape, Harry had convinced himself that it could not be true. But seeing them right in front of him together caused Harry to have to face facts. There really was a world where his mother married the worst man he knew.

"We're sorry to interrupt Minvera," Lily Snape said. Her voice reminded Harry of angelic singing. So, so, lovely. "But Mr. Nott just told us that Harry ran off at some point today and he thinks he's with those people who appeared out of nowhere and ran off. Have you seen him? We have something important to tell him."

Professor McGonagall shook her head sadly. "No, Lily, I have not. However, the people from yesterday are with us right now. You can ask them if you want." She pointed to Harry and his friends.

Dobby jumped up. "Dobby says hi Miss. Lily."

"Hello to you too." Lily smiled sweetly at the house-elf before her expression turned sour towards Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Do you three even think about actually telling us what was going on before disappearing? The whole school has gone crazy with worry about your strange appearance."

"We're sorry about that," Harry told her flatly. Why did she think she have the right to judge them? It was not like they made the choice to marry a horrible human being. "Its was an unexpected incident. We were as confused as you all were."

"Still my colleague's right. You three should have come to me then." Professor McGonagall guided Lily and Snape over to the couch she sat on earlier. Lily watched them closely, reminding Harry of Uncle Vernon when he reprimanded Harry over this or that. Meanwhile, Snape refused to look at them, his gaze focused on the image of a lion wagging its tail.

"We needed some time to think everything through." Hermione stood up and crossed her arms.

Lily nodded her head and turned to Professor McGonagall who was standing near the armrest of her couch. "About Harry. Do you have any clue where he may be?"

Professor McGonagall replied, "No. But I imagine he's somewhere in the school and just needs a day alone."

"He may be at my brother Bill's house," Ron said suddenly, causing Lily to stare at him. "You're talking about Harry Snape, right? He was curious about us and all and somehow found us at the house. When we left, he was still there."

Lily scowled. "And you decided to leave a teenager at a stranger's home?"

Ron shrugged. "He's seventeen. I'm sure he can take care of himself. Plus, Bill's harmless. The worst Fleur would do is to mock his greasy hair."

"Ronald," Hermione chided, giving their friend a disdainful look.

Lily bit her lip, scowling at Ron. "Be as it may be, he's still a child at heart and I worry about him. Where is you're brother's house, so I can look for him there."

"Shells Cottage," Ron answered, undisturbed by Lily's remark if his relaxed shoulders were any indication.

"Isn't that Bill Weasley's place?" Lily tilted her head, looking at Ron closely. "Hum, you do have Arthur's eyes. Percy? No, I seen him and his nose is more obtuse."

"Matches his pompous personality," Ron muttered.

"You look about Harry's age, maybe seventeen, nineteen at most. So if you're not Percy, who are you? Bill and Charlie are far older."

"Well," Hermione answered for Ron. "The truth is we are from another world. In our world, there are more than three Weasley children."

Harry gasped. What was she thinking? The last thing Harry wanted was Snape and a version of his mother who married a literal motherfucker to know about their situation.

Lily expression turned even more sour. "I do not appreciate your attempt to screw with me, Miss. -"

"Granger. I'm Hermione Granger, this is Ron and my friend Harry Potter."

"Potter. You're working for Potter?" Snape acknowledged Harry and his friends presence for the first time during the whole conversation. A familiar nasty expression emerged, enlarging his temples. Lily clenched Snape's hand, giving Ron a similar look.

It was disgusting to see someone who could have been his mother holding that man's hand. "As Hermione said, we're from another world, and no we don't work for anyone. And I have enough of this. I don't care if you believe us or not because you're both scum." He scowled then at Lily, clenching his hands. "I can't believe you married a bastard like him. I just can't. I'm having nightmares just thinking about it and now I have to see you next to him."

"Harry." Hermione grabbed Harry's hand, lowering herself next to him. "Calm down. She's not you're mother. This is not our world. We can't go screaming about them without even knowing them."

"I don't care." Harry pulled his hand away. "You know what he did and here he is, someone who could have been the man who killed Dumbledore, having a good life. Having the life dad deserved."

He began to stomp around, muttering under his breath. He could see Hermione watching him, a sad gleam in her eyes and Dobby giving him a wide smile and wiggled his ears, trying to cheer him up.

Ron, meanwhile, told Lily, "Don't mind Harry, this whole different world thing is a bit of a shock for him."

Scowling, Lily rose from her seat and roughly told Professor McGonagall, "We're going to check the cottage." She then told Harry and his friends. "If he's not there, I'm thinking that you three kidnapped him. And I'll give you a few hours before I report you."

"Mrs. Snape I know you're worried." Hermione walked over to Lily. "But your son is all right. I'm sure you either find him at the cottage and if not there later tonight at Hogwarts."

"You better hope so." Grabbing Snape's hand, Lily ordered, "Sev, let's go."

Harry barely restrained himself from hexing the two of them.

"She couldn't really say we kidnapped him if they don't find him right?" Hermione looked at Professor McGonagall with an intense expression. "Logically there's no reason to place us as the reason their kid's missing."

"That may be so," Professor McGonagall told her calmly. "However, you three and your servant are unknown individuals and, as such, you are likely to be blamed for anything fishy. Finding someone to blame is never logical. So finding an attorney for yourselves may be wise. I do know some good barristers and solicitors."

While Hermione nodded, Harry snapped, "Don't call Dobby a servant. He's a free elf. A good friend."

Harry cross his arms, staring intensely at the jungle scene around him. He wondered if the cute chimpanzees who were playing ever found their mother tricked by a monstrous gorilla. He wondered if he was going to be stuck with the imagine of his mother holding Snape's hand forever. If the pain in his chest was ever going to disappear.

Then, Ron asked the question Harry should have been wondering all along. A question that effected not only him, but also his friends. "So do you believe that we're from another universe?"

Professor McGonnagall tilted her head and closed her eyes for a few seconds. "I'm still considering."

555

Everything had appeared so perfect until Potter's love child and his nasty friends decided to kidnap his son. Severus Snape stared at the blood splattered on the floor in Shells Cottage's the living room. He and Lily arrived at the cottage, calling out their son's name, to find the whole place empty. Lily was currently searching around, likely still hoping Harry was somewhere close, but Severus could not stop staring at the blood on the floor.

Those horrible people stole their son and that Potter boy had the guts to call him scum, to treat Lily like shit. If Severus was a tearful man, he would have been crying. But since Severus was an emotionless man, he felt his eyes burning from unseeded tears. This was an outrage. He was going to throttle those liars until they bled if they did not return his son.

Bloody hell, he needed to calm down. He would never do that shit. He was not the type to take revenge. Harry would not want him to. He needed to have faith that Harry was currently back at Hogwarts.

"He's not anywhere." Lily climbed down the stairs, her arms tight around her chest. She started crying, leaning heavily against the bannister, tears plunging down her face.

Severus walked towards her, hugging her gently. "Lily, those kids were just screwing around. Harry's safe at Hogwarts. He gotta be. He just gotta."

Lily let out a hard laugh. "Do you think that they were saying the truth back there. All that shit. Now it just seems real Harry missing from where he was last seen by them. Maybe our Harry is back in their world."

"That's absurd," Severus responded immediately. They were just screwing with us. Come on, I read plenty of books on alternate universes and none of them ever mentioned any proof that they exist. None. Come on. I'm a potionier. I examined all their effects. They all leave painful consequences after accidents, but never cause the body to move from one space to another. There is absolutely nothing to suggest alternative universes exist. Absolutely nothing. They just want to get off with the bloody, git of a prank they're doing."

Lily raised her head and pressed her mouth against his cheek. "The thing is I thought magic was just a fairytale element until I met you and look at what I know now. What they're saying could be possible. I'm not saying I believe they did travel from somewhere else, but I do believe that it could be possible."

"It was probably Potter's son, fooling with us, maybe he got one of his followers under polyjuice to look like him."

Lily laughed, "That could be it. I would not be surprise if the Potter boy is having the time of his life right now as we fret with worry."

Here, here.

555

Justin Potter squirmed against the rough chair he was stuck to and sneezed thanks to the dust accumulating in his nose. He hated the sound of Harry Snape taping on his knees nearby. The sound reminded him of a clock ticking and he always hated the reminder of time passing by while he failed to do anything fun or worth talking about. He despised the worried looks on Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour's faces and their fervent whispering. They reminded him of the terrible situation they were now in. All because of Harry Snape's manipulations. He was a fool to follow Snape's idea to travel to a new world.

The dead body of one of his family's house-elves - was its name Brittly or Stubby? Justin could not remember - stank up the room. The house-elf died soon after they arrived in this place, not from the sword but because a woman named Alecto Carrow killed it as soon as she saw it lying on the ground useless. Carrow and a man called Filch dragged Justin and the others into this room and then locked them inside. The witch had crackled merrily about catching Potter and how she could not wait to collect her reward.

Justin spent the past hour stuck in this stinking place and he planned to punch Snape in the face as soon as he was freed from the sticking charm that stuck him to this chair. He hated being stuck with companions he either did not know or hated. He hated everything about this universe. Just everything. One second in it and all four of them were imprisoned within a dusty room and forcibly attached to chairs.

The door creaked open and in came Carrow, her hair finely braided, followed by a tall monster of a man. The man reminded Justin of the Halloween prank he and his friends made back in sixth year. Terry Boot had just perfected human transfiguration of the entire face and decided to transfigure the group into a gang of monsters with cadaver-appearing noses and stretched faces.

This man, however, appeared far more scarier than the monsters Justin and his friends pretended to be as they snuck around the school to scare prefects scouting through the halls. His nose reminded Justin of a viper's tongue, and his pale skin looked completely dead. He walked over to Justin and his bright red eyes looked deeply at him. The man's long hand pressed Justin's cheek. It was the most freezing hand that ever touched him.

"Harry Potter. Found in Hogwarts. I should have known you would return to this school. Foolish boy. Now, after all these years of waiting, I can kill you and then no one can stop me."

"Wait," Bill called out in a cracked voice. "Don't kill him."

Carrow giggled beside him, clenching the older boy's shoulder and placed a silencing charm on him, causing Fleur to yell out, "How dare you. Give him voice back."

The freakish figure laughed, sounding like a Mungos patient in the insanity ward, and his follower silenced her as well. "Any more of you want to talk out?" Justin shook his head. Snape simply yelped. "No. Good. Stay quiet, if you want to live." The man, if he even was a man, chuckled so loudly the sounded rocked around me.

"My lord, can I have a word?" The voice caused Snape to shriek. That stupid, little pussy.

The man turned to the person who just spoken. The new person reminded Justin of Snape's father. A rather uglier version, if that was even possible.

"Yes, Severus?" The monster of a man walked over to the man who looked like Snape. Merlin, the man was probably was even Snape's father in this universe.

"I just got word that confirms that the person over there is an imposter pretending to be Potter in order to make you believe you defeated him," said this world's version of Snape's father calmly.

"Really? How quaint." The man gazed at Justin causing him to shiver under the intense, scarlet eyes. It was as if the eyes were stunning spells that stunned him without even hitting him. The man rubbed his hands together and smirked. "I can see it. Potter would be fighting even now, but all you are doing is sitting their, ready to die without a fight." He leaned closer and Justin began to feel dizzy, overwhelmed by a nauseating scent. "Or are you playing with me Potter? Are you trying one last trick to survive despite how powerless you really are?"

_Coward._ The word lumbered in Justin's mind. Justin wanted to prove that man wrong and he would have, instead of gasping uselessly, if the man had not suddenly fallen down on him, stunned. The cold body hit him as hard as the end of a broomstick. He pushed the frightful body away, hating the deadly weight on him. It reminded him of one of the cadavers in St. Mungos' morgue. He used to play with them when bored on the days his mother forced him to go to her job with her. The stunned body hit the floor, and Justin noticed something white fly off the shoulder.

"Potter. I should've expected this. You're such a dunderhead that you thought it was safe to enter Hogwarts," The alternate version of Snape's father said nastily.

"You just saved me." Justin watched the man grimace at his words.

"And a load of good its done me," the man snapped before waving his wand and freeing Justin from the chair and soon after his three companions. "Gather your friends. I guess it lies on me to lead you to safety."

555

Harry Snape could not help but stare at this world's version of his father. The man ignored him, focusing his attention directly ahead. Bill and Fleur tried to talk to him, but the man only told them to be quiet. Harry doubted this Severus Snape even looked in his or any of the other's direction the whole time since he rescued the group.

Harry felt tempted to tell him he was his son from another world, Harry did not want to be the one to initiate contact, especially since the man acted so different from the dad he knew. While this Severus Snape had the same hook nose and matted black hair as his father, his face was less expressive and this Severus seemed disinterested entirely towards other human beings. This Severus also strutted like Harry would expect a Potter to, instead of a calm gait his father tended to do.

As they walked towards a portrait of some weird looking man and dancing trolls, Severus gave Potter a vial of clear liquid. "Potter. Look in a pensive. It'll explain everything." He turned to Harry, Bill and the French girl. "Ask you're friends in the room. They'll tell you how to get out of here. Never come to Hogwarts again. Its not safe for you here."

He then started to walk away, leaving Harry and the others bewildered by the portrait. "Wait," Harry called out. "What are we suppose to do from here? Da-" He caught himself before he let those words out.

Severus stopped abruptly and looked at them in amusement. "I see, your not even Potter and his friends. Just some fools who believed it was a good idea to sneak into Hogwarts with Potter's face. Great. I can't believe I ruined my position for this." He angrily stomped over to them and pointed his wand towards Potter's shoulder. "Well, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Look, we don't have to tell you anything Snape," Potter shouted. "Just go. We'll find a way out of this castle."

Severus scowled. "This is the last time I help any of you ungrateful pricks." He then knocked on the wall across from the portrait. "That should do it." He strutted away again.

For a few seconds, the group stood there and then suddenly the wall was pushed forward and out came a sandy hair boy who chuckled wildly when he noticed Potter. "Harry, mate. It's so good to see you!"

**AN-**

**Hi Everyone!**

**I know its been a few years since I updated. I lost interest in this story for awhile, but I recently regained interest after Alicia Olivia Mirza's reviews back in September. It took me awhile to figure out how I wanted to continue it and this past week I realized how I wanted to continue this story. I am sorry about how long its been since I last updated. I hope you're still interested in reading _The Feuds_. **

**Thanks for reading,**

**HappyTerrier **


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